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empreinte. 


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TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
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symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  etre 
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de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  6  droits. 
et  de  haut  en  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
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.)        V 


PIERRE    MEXARD, 
lERRE-MEXARD    PAPERS. 
NOEL    LE    VASSEUR, 
.ISTS   OF    EARLY   ILLLXOLS   CITIZEXS. 


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FERGUS'    HISTORICAL    SERIES,    No.   31. 


PIERRE   MENARD, 


AND 


ERRE-MENARD  PAPERS, 

HISTORICAL   SKETCH    AND    NOTES 

BY 

EDWARD  GAY  MASON, 

President  of  the  Chicacjo  Hi^ToRicAt.  Socikty. 


I 


NOEL  LE  VASSEUR, 


BY 


STEPHEN   R.  MOORE. 


STS  OF  EARLY  ILLINOIS  CITIZENS, 

INTRODUCTION    BV 

EDWARD  GAY  MASON. 


REI'RINTED    FROM 

\"()L.  IV,  Chicago  IIistoricai.  Society's  Coi.lkctions; 
"Early  Chicac.i..  and  Illimhs." 


CHICAGO: 

FERGUS    P  R I N  T  l5v  h  \  &)  M  P  A  N  Y. 

1890. 


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EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


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PIERRE    MENARD, 

THE    FIRST    LIEUTENANT-dOVKRNOR    OE    ILLINOIS. 


By  Edward  G.  Mason  of  Chicago. 


PIERRE  MENARD  was  born  Oct.  7,  1766,  at  Saint 
Antoine  upon  the  river  Chambly  or  Richelieu,  in  the 
Province  of  Quebec,  in  Lower  Canada.  The  historians 
of  Illinois  who  mention  him  have  uniformly  described 
him  as  a  native  of  the  City  of  Quebec,  born  in  1767* 
But  these  statements  are  shown  to  be  erroneous  by  the 
register  of  his  baptism,  still  preserved  in  the  parish 
church  of  Saint  Antoine,  which  states  that  in  1766,  on 
October  8,  was  baptized  Pierre,  born  the  day  before  of 
the  legitimate  marriage  of  Jean  Baptiste  Menard,  called 
Brindamour,  and  Marie  Frangoise  Ciree,  called  St.  Michclf 
And  the  ante-nuptial  contract  between  Pierre  Menard 
and  Therese  Godin,  found  among  his  papers?  as  well  as 
the  register  of  their  marriage  in  the  Church  of  the  Im- 
maculate Conception  at  Kaskaskia,  Ill.f  both  signed  by 
him,  alike  describe  him  as  a  native  of  Saint  Antoine,  in 
Canada. 

The  village  and  parish  of  Saint  Antoine  are  situated 

^  Reynolds' "  Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  page  242;  Montague's  "Directory 
and  Historical  Sketches  of  Randolph  County,"  p.  38;  "History  of  Randolph, 
Monroe,  and  Perry  Counties,  Illinois,"  p,  306;  Davidson  &  Stuve's  "His- 
tory of  Illinois,"  p.  297. 

*  Parish  Register  of  Saint  Antoine  de  Richelieu,  October  8,  1766. 
"  Original  contract  in  Chicago  Historical  Society's  possession. 

*  Parish  Register  of  Church  of  Immaculate  Conception,  Kaskaskia,  Illi- 
nois, Juifc  13,  1792. 

2  17 


''>Jfid23 


i8 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


in  the  Sci^nory  of  Contrcccuur  and  County  of  Vercheres, 
thirty-five  miles  from  the  City  of  Montreal,  upon  the 
north  shore  of  the  river  Richelieu,  and  the  place  is  usually 
known  as  Saint  Antoine  de  Richelieu.'  This  river,  taking 
its  name  from  the  fort  at  its  mouth,  called  after  the 
famous  cardinal,  was  also  known  as  the  Sorel,  from  M. 
de  Sorel,  who  commanded  at  that  fortf  and  as  the  Cham- 
bly,  from  M.  de  Chambly,  who  was  once  in  command  of 
a  fort  built  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids  on  this  stream.  It 
has  also  been  called  the  St.  Louis  and  the  St.  John? 

Pierre  Menard's  father,  Jean  Baptiste  Menard,  called 
Brindamour,  was  the  son  of  Jean  Baptiste  Menard  and 
Madeleine  Reboulla,  who  were  of  the  parish  of  Saint 
Hypolitc  in  the  diocese  of  Alis^  This  diocese  was  prob- 
ably that  of  Alais,  in  France,  founded  in  1694,  and  in  the 
Province  of  Narbonne,  in  Southern  F'rance?  There  is  a 
village  of  St.  Hypolite  in  this  diocese,  in  the  modern 
Department  of  Gard,  which  probably  was  the  birth-place 
of  Pierre  Menard's  father,  who  described  himself  as  a 
native  of  Languedoc,  in  France,  the  ancient  name  of 
that  region?  The  younger  Jean  Baptiste  was  born  in 
1735,  and  was  in  the  French  service  as  a  soldier  in  the 
regiment  of  Guienne.  On  February  14,  1763,  when  he 
was  twenty-eight  years  old,  he  was  married  at  Saint 
Antoine  to  Marie  P^an^oise  Ciree,  then  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  daughter  of  Jean  Baptiste  Ciree,  called  Saint 
Michel,  and  of  Marguerite  Bonin  of  that  parish.  Of 
this  marriage  were  born  five  sons,  the  two  elder  at  Saint 
Antoine,  Jean  Marie  on  April  2,  1765,  and  Pierre  on 
October  7,  1766.     The  three  younger  sons  were  born  at 

^  Houchette's  "Topographical  Dictionary  of  Lower  Canada,"  article  St. 
Antoine.  **  Charlevoix's  "History  of  New  France,"  (Shea),  III,  83. 

'  Bouchette's  "  Topographical  Dictionary, "  article  Richelieu. 
*  Parish  Register  of  Saint  Antoine,  February  14,  1763. 
^  Letter  of  John  Gilmary  Shea,  P'ebruary  2,  1889. 
"  Letter  of  Mrs.  Augustine  Menard,  F'ebruary  5,  1889. 


iJ39mi 


wm 


PIERRE   MENARD. 


19 


St.  Denis  de  Richelieu  ou  Chambly,  opposite  Saint  An- 
toine,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river  Richelieu,  to  which 
place  their  parents  had  removed.  Their  names  and  dates 
of  birth  were:  Hypolite  on  January  8,  1770,  Michel  on 
January  11,  1772,  and  Jean  Francois  on  January  26,  1775! 
The  family  subsequently  resided  at  Montreal,  and  at  St. 
Philippe,  LaTortue,  and  La  Prairie,  places  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  that  city?  Jean  Baptiste  Menard  was  in 
several  engagements,  and  is  said  to  have  taken  part  in 
the  campaign  about  Fort  DuOuesne.  When  the  war  of 
the  Revolution  broke  out,  he  joined  the  American  forces 
and  fought  under  Montgomery  at  Quebec? 

It  was  from  Montreal  that  the  young  Pierre  Menard 
went  forth  to  seek  his  fortune,  and  found  his  way  to  V^in- 
cenncs  certainly  as  early  as  1788.  A  letter  to  him  from 
his  father,  addressed  to  Mr.  Pierre  Menard,  clerk  for  Mr. 
Vigo  at  "Poste  Vinsene,"  is  indorsed  by  him  as  received 
April  28,  1788;  and  a  letter  from  his  mother,  dated  at 
Montreal,  June  9,  1789,  refers  to  a  letter  from  him  of  July 
6  of  the  year  before.  The  mother's  letter  is  addressed 
to  "Mr.  Pierre  Menard,  called  Brindamour,  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Vigo  at  Poste  de  Vinsenne."*  These  epistles  and 
others  from  his  parents,  treasured  by  him  to  his  death, 
breathe  a  spirit  of  the  tenderest  affection  for  the  absent 
son,  and  those  of  his  mother,  especially,  show  the  writer 
to  have  been  a  person  of  superior  intelligence  and  educa- 
tion. She  died  at  LaPrairie,  a  village  on  the  south  shore 
of  the  river  St.  Lawrence,  nine  miles  from  Montreal,  Sep- 
tember 19,  1807? 

Pierre  Menard,  while  living  at  Vincennes  in  1789,  accom- 
panied  Francois  Vigo  across  the  Alleghany   Mountains 

^  Parish  Register  of  Saint  Antoine. 

'  Letters  from  Pierre  Menard's  parents  in  Chicago  Historical  Society's 
possession. 

'  Reynolds'  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  p.  242;  letter  of  Mrs.  Augus- 
tine Menard,  Feb.  5,  1889.  *  Letters  u/ su/>ra.  ^  Ibid. 


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20 


KAKI.V    Il-LINOIS. 


to  Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  had  an  interview 
with  President  Washington  in  relation  to  the  defence  of 
the  Western  frontier."'  He  subsequently  removed  from 
Vincennes  to  Kaskaskia,  where  he  was  married,  June 
13,  1792,  to  Miss  Thcrcse  Godin,  then  nineteen  years 
of  age,  daughter  of  Michel  Godin,  called  Tourangeau, 
and  Therese  St.  Gemme  licauvais.f  The  civil  contra^j^t 
relating  to  their  property  matters  was  entered  into  the 
same  day  before  Mr.  Carbonneaux,  the  notary-public 
of  the  County  of  St.  Clair  in  the  country  of  the  Illinois; 
and  the  original  document,  preserved  among  his  papers, 
is  an  interesting  instance  of  the  late  existence  of  French 
law  and  custom  in  this  region.  The  marriage  ceremony 
was  performed  at  the  church  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception at  Kaskaskia,  by  the  Rev.  Father  Saint  Pierre. 
Among  the  witnesses  were  Gen.  John  Edgar  and  his  wife 
Rachel  Pklgar,  William  St.  Clair  and  his  wife  Jane  St. 
Clair,  and  William  Morrisson,  rJl  well-known  names  in 
the  early  history  of  the  Illinois  Territorj-.  Mrs.  Therese 
Godin  Menard  died  in  1804,  leaving  four  children. 

On  Sept.  22,  1806,  Pierre  Menard  was  married  the  sec- 
ond time,  at  Kaskaskia,  in  the  same  church,  to  Angelique 
Saucier,  daughter  of  Francois  Saucier  and  Angelique  La 
Pensee,  and  granddaughter  of  Francjois  Saucier,  once  a 
French  officer  at  P'ort  Chartres,  who  resigned  and  settled 
in  the  Illinois  country.  The  ceremony  was  performed 
by  Donatien  Ollivier,  the  priest  of  the  parish. |  Mrs,  An- 
gelique Saucier  Menard  was  born  at  Portage  des  Siou.x, 
March  4,  1783,  and  died  F'ebruary  12,  1839,  leaving  six 
children,  and  was  buried  in  the  Menard  burial-ground  at 
Kaskaskia.^ 

During  his  long  life   in    Illinois,   Pierre   Menard    held 

*  Letters  ///  supra.  +  Parish  Register,  Kaskaskia,  June  13,  1792. 

X  I'arish  Register,  Kaskaskia,  September  22,  1806. 

§  Letter  of  Mrs.  Augustine  Menard,  November  25,  1888. 


^^4Nwi 


riEKRE   MENARD. 


21 


many  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  among  which  were 
the  following:  October  5,  1795,  he  was  commissioned  a 
major  of  the  first  regiment  of  militia  of  Randolph  County 
by  Arthur  St.  Clair,  governor  of  the  Northwest  Territory; 
August  I,  1800,  he  was  again  commissioned  to  the  same 
office  by  John  Gibson,  acting-governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory;  February  5,  1801,  he  was  appointed  one  of 
the  judges  of  the  court  of  common  pleas  of  Randolph 
County  by  William  Henry  Harrison,  governor  of  Indiana 
Territory;  September  24,  1802,  he  and  John  Edgar  were 
associated  by  the  same  governor  with  John  Griffin,  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  territorial  supreme  court,  on  a  com- 
mission of  inquiry  concerning  crimes  in  the  Territory; 
December  14,  1805,  he  was  appointed  by  the  commis- 
sioners of  the  land-office  for  the  district  of  Vincenncs,  a 
commissioner  to  take  depo.sitions  and  examine  witnesses 
within  the  county  of  Randolph;  December  27,  1805,  he 
was  again  appointed  by  Gov.  Harrison  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  court  of  common  pleas  for  Randolph  County; 
July  12,  1806,  Gov.  Harrison  appointed  him  lieutenant- 
colonel  commandant  of  the  first  regiment  of  militia  of 
Randolph  County,  a  position  formerly  held  by  John 
Edgar;  April  i,  1809,  Meriwether  Lewis,  governor  of  the 
territory  of  Louisiana,  appointed  him  captain  of  infantry 
in  a  detachment  of  militia  on  special  service;  May  6th, 
1809,  Nathaniel  Pope,  secretary  of  the  Illinois  Territory 
and  acting  governor,  again  appointed  him  lieutenant- 
colonel  of  the  first  regiment  of  Randolph  County  militia; 
April  2,  18 1 3,  he  was  made  United  States  sub-agent  of 
Indian  affairs  oy  John  Armstrong,  secretary  of  war;  and 
on  May  24,  1828,  he  and  Lewis  Cass  were  appointed 
commissioners  to  make  treaties  with  the  Indians  of  the 
Northwest  by  John  Quincy  Adams,  president  of  the 
United  States.*  Of  his  territorial  and  state  offices,  and 
*  Original  commissions  in  possession  of  tlie  Chicago  Historical  Society. 


22 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


public  services,  and  of  his  life  and  character,  an  interest- 
ing account  will  be  found  in  the  address  of  Hon.  Henry 
S.  Baker,  delivered  at  the  unveiling  of  the  statue  of  Pierre 
Menard  at  Springfield,  111.* 

Two  of  Pierre  Menard's  brothers,  Hypolite  and  Jean 
Francois,  followed  him  to  Illinois  and  settled  at  Kaskas- 
kia.  The  former  was  a  successful  farmer,  and  the  other 
a  famous  navigator  of  the  Mississippi.  Both  led  useful 
and  honored  lives,  lived  to  an  advanced  age,  and  both 
rest  near  their  brother  Pierre  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Kas- 
kaskia.-f*  A  nephew,  also,  Michel  Menard,  having  as  well 
the  family  patronymic  of  Brindamour,  who  was  born  at 
LaPrairie,  December  5,  1805,  made  his  way  to  Illinois  at 
the  age  of  eighteen.  For  several  years  he  was  employed 
by  his  uncle  Pierre  in  trading  with  the  Indians.  He 
obtained  great  influence  among  them,  and  was  elected 
chief  of 'the  Shawnees.  It  is  said  that  he  almost  suc- 
ceeded in  uniting  the  tribes  of  the  Northwest  into  one 
great  nation,  of  which  he  would  have  been  king.  In 
1833,  Michel  went  to  Texas,  was  a  member  of  the  con- 
vention which  declared  its  independence,  and  of  its  con- 
gress. A  league  of  land  was  granted  to  him,  including 
most  of  the  site  of  the  City  of  Galveston,  which  he 
founded,  and  where  he  died  in  1856.  It  is  related  that 
the  Indians  said  of  him,  as  of  his  uncle  Pierre,  whom 
in  many  respects  he  resembled,  "Menard  never  deceived 
us."j 

Pierre  Menard  died  at  the  good  old  age  of  seventy- 
seven  years  and  eight  months,  on  June  13,  1844,  and  was 
buried,  June  14,  1844,  in  a  vault  prepared  under  his  own 
supervision  in  the  graveyard  of  the  Church  of  the  Im- 
maculate  Conception,    at    Kaskaskia.      And    the   parish 

*  Vol.  IV,  Chicago  Historical  Society's  Collections. 

t  Reynolds'  "Pioneer  History  of  Illinois,"  2d  ed.,  p.  294. 

Z  "Appleton's  Cyclopa-dia  Biography,"  IV,  295. 


1 


PIERRE   MENARD. 


23 


an  interest- 
Ion.  Henry 
le  of  Pierre 

i  and  Jean 
at  Kaskas- 
1  the  other 
led  useful 
,  and  both 
iry  at  Kas- 
ing  as  well 
as  born  at 
Illinois  at 
employed 
lians.      He 
as  elected 
Imost  suc- 
t  into  one 
king.      In 
f  the  con- 
of  its  con- 
including 
which   he 
lated  that 
rre,  whom 
■  deceived 

r  seventy- 
|.,  and  was 
r  his  own 
f  the  Im- 
lie   parish 


burial -record    says:    "Thither   he   was   accompanied   by 
an  immense  concourse  of  people."* 
His  children  by  his  first  wife  were: 

1.  Odile  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia  in  1793;  married 
in  181 1  to  Hugh  H.  Maxwell,  a  native  of  Ireland,  deceased 
in  1832.  She  died  October  8,  1862.  They  had  twelve 
children,  of  whom  two  are  living.  Col.  L.  Maxwell  of 
New  Mexico,  known  in  connection  with  the  "Maxwell 
land-grant,"  was  their  son. 

2.  Peter  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia  in  1797,  married 
first  Caroline  Stillman,  in  1830,  at  Peoria,  where  she  died 
in  1847;  and  second,  Emily  Briggs,  at  Tremont,  111.,  in 
1850;  she  is  still  living  with  two  children.  He  died  in 
Tremont,  November  30,  1871. 

3-  Berenice  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia  in  1801,  mar- 
ried in  1 8 19  to  Francois  C.  Chouteau,  deceased  in  1836. 
She  died  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  November  19,  1888,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-seven  years,  leaving  grandchildren,  but  no 
children  surviving  her. 

4.  Alzira  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia  in  1802;  married 
in  1824  to  George  H.  Kennerly;  and  died  at  Carondelet, 
Mo.,  in  1885,  leaving  five  children. 

His  children  by  his  second  wife  were: 

1.  Francois  P.  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia  in  1809,  and 
died  in  January,  1831. 

2.  Edmond  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia,  February  8, 
1813,  educated  at  Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  Emmetsburg, 
Maryland,  and  died  at  Kaskaskia  in  July,  1884. 

3.  Matthew  Saucier  Menard,  born  at  Kaskaskia,  April 
22,  18 17;  married  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  Mo.,  to  Constance 
Detchemendy;  and  died  September  29,  1832,  at  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  leaving  no  children. 

4.  Louis  Cyprien  Menard,  born  March  2,  18 19;  edu- 
cated at  Mount  St.  Mary's  College,  Emmef  burg,  Mary- 

*  Parish  Register,  Kaskaskia,  June  14,  1844. 


'  1 1 


i 


«i. 


24 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


land,  and  admitted  to  the  bar  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1843. 
He  was  married  Oct.  15,  1845,  to  Augustine  Ste.  Gemme, 
and  died  June  2,  1870,  kviving  his  widow  and  six  children. 

5.  Amedee  Menard,  born  in  1820,  and  died  in  1844  at 
Peoria,  111. 

6.  Sophie  A.,  born  November  13,  1822;  married,  in 
July,  1843,  to  John  D.  Radford  of  St.  Louis,  deceased  in 
1868.  She  died  June  22,  1848,  and  none  of  her  children 
survive. 


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1 


PIERRE    MENARD    PAPERS. 

P'rom  the  originals  in  the  possession  of  the. Chicago  Historical  Society. 


Ante -Nuptial  Contract  between  Pierre  Menard  and 

Miss  Therese  Godin,  called  Tourangeau, 

June  13,  1792: 

(Translated  from  the  French. ) 

BEFORE  the  Notary  Public  of  the  County  of  St.  Clair  in 
the  country  of  the  Illinois.  The  undersigned,  residing 
in  the  parish  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  Our  Lady  of 
the  Kaskaskias,  the  place  of  meeting,  and  the  undersigned 
witnesses  were  present.  In  person  Mr.  Pierre  Menard, 
bachelor,  having  attained  his  majority,  legitimate  son  of 
Mr.  Jean  Baptiste  Menard,  called  Brindamour,  and  of  Dame 
Marie  Frangoise  Ciree  Saint  Michel,  his  father  and  mother, 
native  of  the  Parish  of  Saint  Antoine  upon  the  river 
Chambli,  Province  of  the  holy  diocese  of  Quebec  in 
Canada,  a  trading  merchant  living  in  the  said  Parish  of 
Kaskaskia,  agreeing  for  himself  and  in  his  own  name  for 
one  part. 

And  Miss  Therese  Godin,  called  Tourangeau,  daughter 
of  the  late  Mr.  Michel  Godin,  called  Tourangeau,  and  of 
Dame  Thesese  Ste.  Geme  Beauvais,  her  father  and  mother, 
living  in  this  before-mentioned  parish  of  the  Kaskaskias. 
The  said  Dame  Therese  Ste.  Geme  Beauvais  agreeing  for 
the  said  Miss  Theresa,  her  daughter,  aged  nineteen  years, 
in  her  name  and  with  her  consent  for  the  second  part. 

Which  parties,  to  wit,  on  the  part  of  the  said  Mr.  Pierre 
Menard,  Mr.  Francois  Janis,  Esquire,  Captain  of  a  Com- 
pany of  Citizen  militia  of  this  parish,  Messrs.  Pierre  Bon- 
neau,  and  Pierre  Latulippe  his  witnesses  and  friends: 

And  on  the  part  of  the  said  Miss  Therese  Godin  Tcur- 

25 


26 


EARIA'   ILLINOIS. 


angeau,  Dame  Therese  Ste,  Geme  Beauvais,  her  mother; 
Charles  Danis,  her  maternal  uncle,  as  having  married  the 
late  Miss  Ursule  Ste.  Geme  Beauvais;  Nicholas  Canada, 
her  maternal  uncle,  as  having  married  Miss  Marie  Helene 
Ste.  Geme  Beauvais;  Ambroise  Dagne,  her  cousin;  Jean 
Baptiste  Cailliot  Lachanse;  all  her  relatives  and  friends, 
which  parties  by  the  advice  and  consent  of  their  relatives 
and  friends  herein  named  having  knowledge  of  it,  have 
agreed  to  have  made  between  them  the  agreement  and 
articles  of  marriage  as  follows,  to  wit: 

The  said  Dame  Therese  Ste.  Geme  Beauvais  promises  to 
give  and  deliver  the  said  Miss  Theresa  Godin,  her  daugh- 
ter, with  her  consent,  to  the  said  Mr.  Pierre  Menard  who 
promises  to  take  her  for  his  true  and  lawful  wife  and  to 
cause  to  be  celebrated  and  solemnized  the  marriage  in  the 
presence  of  our  holy  mother  Church  Catholic,  Apostolic, 
and  Roman,  the  rather  that  doing  so  would  be  what  one 
of  the  parties  would  require  of  the  other. 

For  to  be,  the  said  future  husband  and  wife,  one  and  the 
same  in  all  property  personal  and  real  increase  and  acqui- 
sitions, present  and  future,  without  being  held  for  the 
debti?,  the  one  for  the  other,  made  and  incurred  before  the 
celebration  of  the  said  marriage,  and  if  any  are  found, 
they  shall  be  paid  and  discharged  by  him  or  her  who  shall 
have  made  and  incurred  them  and  from  his  own  property 
without  the  other  or  his  goods  being  at  all  held  for  the 
same. 

The  said  future  husband  and  wife  take  each  other  with 
their  goods  and  rights  actually  belonging  to  each,  such  as 
have  come  to  them  through  inheritances  or  as  gifts  and 
those  that  may  fall  due  in  the  future  in  whatever  sum  they 
may  amount,  and  of  whatever  nature  and  value  they  may 
be,  and  in  whatever  place  they  may  be  found  located, 
which  shall  become  wholly  in  common  from  the  day  of  the 
marriage  ceremony. 


i 


PIERRE   MENARD   TAPERS. 


27 


her  mother; 
f  married  the 
olas  Canada, 
Marie  Helene 

cousin;  Jean 

>  and  friends, 
their  relatives 
^e  of  it,  have 
Treement  and 

is  promises  to 
in,  her  daugh- 
Menard  who 
il  wife  and  to 
larriage  in  the 
lie,  Apostolic, 
I  be  what  one 

e,  one  and  the 
se  and  acqui- 

held  for  the 
•ed  before  the 
ny  are  found, 

her  who  shall 
own  property 
1  held  for  the 

Lch  other  with 

>  each,  such  as 
r  as  gifts  and 
ever  sum  they 
alue  they  may 
bund  located, 
the  day  of  the 


^^ 


In  consideration  of  which  marriage  the  said  future  hus- 
band has  endowed  and  does  endow  the  said  future  wife, 
with  a  thousand  livres  of  fixed  dower  paid  at  one  time  to 
have  and  to  take  out  of  all  the  property  of  the  said  future 
husband  without  being  held  to  make  demand  for  it  in 
court,  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  said  future  wife  and  her  chil- 
dren, according  to  the  custom  of  Paris. 

The  marriage-settlement  provision  shall  be  equal  and 
reciprocal  to  the  survivor  of  them  to  the  amount  of  five 
hundred  livres  to  be  taken  by  the  said  survivor  in  per- 
sonal property  from  their  common  stock,  or  the  said  sum 
in  full  in  cash  at  the  choice  or  option  of  the  said  survivor. 

It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  said  future  wife,  the  said  future 
husband  happening  to  be  the  first  to  die,  herself  and  her 
children  to  renounce  the  present  community  of  goods,  and 
of  it  to  retake  and  hold  in  renouncing  it  all  she  will  be 
able  to  prove  she  has  contributed  to  it,  with  her  dower  and 
marriage  settlement  provision  such  as  it  is  hereinbefore 
written  free  from  all  the  debts  of  the  common  stock  except 
if  she  was  bound  for  any  of  them,  or  had  been  impleaded 
or  adjudged  to  pay  any  of  them,  in  which  case  she  and  her 
children  shall  be  indemnified  by  the  parents  of  the  said 
future  husband,  and  out  of  his  property. 

In  consideration  of  which  marriage  and  for  the  good 
true  affection  which  the  said  future  partners  feel  the  one 
for  the  other,  they  have  made  and  do  make  by  these  pres- 
ents free  gift  pure  and  simple  and  for  ever  irrevocable,  and 
in  the  most  binding  form  in  which  a  gift  can  be  made  to 
the  last  survivor  of  them,  all  and  ever  their  property  real 
and  personal  increase  and  acquisitions  which  the  first  one 
dying  shall  leave  at  the  day  and  hour  of  decease  to  enjoy 
by  the  last  survivor  in  full  property,  and  as  to  whatever 
belongs  to  that  one  this  present  deed  of  gift  is  thus  made 
for  life  and  upon  the  understanding  that  there  is  no  living 
child  born  or  to  be  born  of  the  said  marriage;  in  which 


1 


■mr 


28 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


case  of  a  child  the  said  deed  or  gift  will  be  wholly  null,  it 
beiqg  well  understood  that  the  property  of  the  patrimonial 
inheritance  of  the  one  and  the  other  shall  return  to  their 
family. 

And  in  order  to  place  on  record  these  presents  at  the 
registry  of  this  district  in  the  aforesaid  place  at  the  date 
of  these  presents,  they  have  constituted  their  procurator 
the  bearer  of  these  presents.  For  thus  it  has  been  agreed 
upon.  Promising,  etc.,  undertaking,  etc.,  renouncing,  etc. 
Done  and  decided  in  the  house  of  the  said  Dame  Therese 
Ste.  Geme  Beauvais,  widow  of  the  late  Michel  Godin  Tou- 
rangeau  at  the  said  Kaskaskias,  the  year  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  ninety-two,  and  the  thirteenth  day  of 
the  month  of  June,  in  the  afternoon;  the  sixteenth  year  of 
the  Independence  of  the  United  States  of  America,  in 
the  presence  of  the  relations  and  of  friends  of  whom 
some  have  signed  with  the  future  husband  and  wife  and 
we  the  notary  have  subscribed  and  the  others  have  made 
their  ordinary  mark,  after  reading  made  according  to  the 
ordinance.     (Two  witnesses  in  the  margin  are  approved.) 


Francois  Janis. 


Nicolas    x'  Canada. 

mark 

J.  Bte.    x'  Lachanse. 

mark 


Pierre  Menard. 

Therreuese  Godin, 
ve  Godin. 

Pierre    x'  Bonneau. 

mark 
^  his 

Pierre    x    Latulippe. 

mark 

Ambroise    x'  Dagnet. 

mark 


PIERRE   MENARD   PAPERS. 


29 


oily  null,  it 
patrimonial 
urn  to  their 

>ents  at  the 
at  the  date 

procurator 
)een  agreed 
uncing,  etc. 
me  Therese 
Godin  Tou- 
e  thousand 
mth  day  of 
;nth  year  of 
\merica,  in 
3  of  whom 
nd  wife  and 

have  made 
ding  to  the 

approved.) 

kD. 
ODIN, 

s^NEAU. 
rULIPPE. 

Dagnet. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commissions  as  Major  of  Militia: 

Territory  of  the  United  States  |  Arthur  St.  Clair  Esquire 
•     Northwest  the  River  Ohio       j  Governor  and  Com- 

mander in  Chief  of  the  Territory  of  the   United   States 
North  West  the  River  Ohio.     To  Peter  Menard  Esquire: 

You  being  appointed  Major  in  the  first  Regiment  of 
Militia  of  the  County  of  Randolph  by  Virtue  of  the  Power 
Vested  in  me  I  do  by  these  presents  Reposing  Special 
Trust  and  Confidence  in  your  Loyalty  Courage  and  good 
Conduct,  Commission  You  Accordingly.  You  are  there- 
fore carefully  and  diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  a 
Major — in  leading — ordering  and  exercising  Said  Militia 
in  Arms  both  Inferiour  Officers  and  Soldiers  and  to  keep 
them  in  Good  order  and  discipline.  And  they  are  hereby 
Commanded  to  Obey  you  as  their  Major — and  you  your- 
selfe  to  observe  and  follow  Such  Orders  and  Instructions 
as  you  Shall  from  time  to  time  receive  from  me  or  your 
Superiour  Officers. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  Seal  of  the  Said 
Territory  of  the  United  States  this  fifth  day  of 
October  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thous  seven  hundred 
and  ninety-five  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States  the  twentieth.  Ar.  St.  Cla^r. 

[Endorsed:]  Before  me  John  Edgar  Leut.  Colonel  Com- 
mandant of  the  first  Regt.  of  Militia  of  the  County  of 
Randolph  by  Virtue  of  a  Dcdimus  Potcstatcm  to  me  and 
Lordner  Clark  directed  or  either  of  us  Personly  appeared 
Peter  Menard  who  being  duly  Sworn  did  take  the  oaths 
prescribed  by  an  \ct  of  the  United  States  entitled  an  Act 
to  regulate  the  time  and  maner  of  administring  certain 
Oaths  and  the  Oath  of  Office.  In  Witness  Whereof  I  have 
hereunto  set  my  hand  at  Kaskaskias  the  25.  day  of  Octr. 
1792. 


[Seal] 


1 


■-86): 


30 


EARLY    II.I-INOIS, 


By  John  Gibson,  ICsq'r,  Secretary  and  now  acting  as  Gov- 
ernor and  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Indiana 
Territory: 

United  States,  )  To  Peter  Menard,  ICsq'r,  of  the  County 
Indiana  Territory.  J      of  Randolph,  Greeting: — 

You  being  Appointed  a  Major  of  a  Regiment  of  tlie 
Militia  in  said  County.  By  Virtue  of  the  power  Vested 
in  me;  I  do  by  these  presents,  (reposing  special  Trust  and 
Confidence  in  your  Loyalty;  Courage  and  Good  Conduct) 
Commission  you  accordingly;  You  are  therefore  carefully 
and  diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  a  Major  in  leading, 
ordering,  and  exercising  said  Regiment  in  Arms,  both 
inferior  officers  and  Soldiers;  and  to  keep  them  in  good 
order  and  discipline;  And  they  are  hereby  commanded  to 
obey  you  as  their  Major.  And  you  are  yourself  to  observe 
and  follow  such  orders  and  Instructions  as  you  shall  from 
time  to  time  receive  from  me  or  your  Superior  Officers: — 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  said  Terri- 
tory, the  first  day  of  August  in  the  Year  of 
our  Lord  one  Thousand  Eight  hundred  and  of  the  Inde- 
pendence of  the  United  States  of  America,  the  Twenty- 
fifth.  J  NO.  Gibson. 

[Endorsed:]  Peter  Menard,  Esq'r,  Major. 

Before  me,  John  Edgar,  Lieut'-Colonel,  Commandant  of 
the  First  Regiment  of  Militia  of  the  County  of  Randolph, 
by  Virtue  of  a  Dedimus  Potestatan  to  me  directed  Person- 
ally appeared  Peter  Menard  who,  being  duly  sworn,  did 
take  the  Oath  prescribed  by  an  Act  of  the  United  States 
entituled  an  Act  to  regulate  the  time  &  manner  of  admin- 
istering certain  Oaths  &  the  Oath  of  Office. 

In  Witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  this 
Tenth  day  of  September  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred.  J.  Edgar. 


[Seal] 


I'lERRE    MENARD    I'Al'ERS. 


31 


ig  as  Gov- 
le    Indiana 

the  County 

lent  of  the 
,vcr  Vested 
i  Trust  and 
d  Conduct) 
re  carefully 

in  leading, 
\rms,  both 
;ni  in  good 
imanded  to 
f  to  observe 
I  shall  from 

Officers: — 

said  Terri- 
:he  Year  of 
•f  the  Inde- 
le  Twenty- 

GlIiSON. 


mandant  of 
Randolph, 

ted  Person- 
sworn,  did 

lited  States 

r  of  admin- 

y  hand  this 
r  Lord  one 
[.  Edgar. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Judge  of  the  Courts 

of  Randolph  County: 

William  Henry  Harrison,  Esq.,  Governor  and  Commander 
in  Chief  of  Indiana  Territory, 

.    ,.         ^      .  (To    Peter    Menard,    Esquire,    of  the 

Indiana  Territory,  j    ^        .      ^  ,.      ,  ,   ,  ,    „ 

^     y    County  of  Randolph  sends  Greeting: 

Know  you  that  reposing  Especial  trust  and  confidence 
in  your  abilities,  integrity  and  judgement,  I,  the  said  William 
Henry  Harrison  have  appointed,  and  do  by  these  presents 
appoint  and  commission  you,  the  said  Peter  Menard,  to 
be  one  of  our  Judges  of  the  court  of  common  pleas,  in 
and  for  our  said  County,  hereby  giving  and  granting  unto 
you  full  right  and  titlo  to  have  and  Execute  all  and  singu- 
lar the  powers,  Jurisdictions  and  authorities,  and  to  recieve 
and  enjoy  all  and  singular  the  Emoluments,  of  a  Judge  of 
the  court  of  common  pleas,  of  a  Judge  of  the  Orphans  Court, 
and  of  a  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Quarter  Sessions  of  the 
peace  in  and  for  the  county  aforesaid  agreeably  to  the 
constitution  of  the  laws  of  this  Territory  to  have  and  to 
hold  this  commission  and  the  office  hereby  granted  to  you 
so  long  as  you  shall  behave  yourself  well. 
r,^     ,^      Given  under  my  hand  and  the  seal  of  the  Ter- 

I    iC3.ll 

^  -•  ritory  at  Vincennes  this  fifth  day  of  February 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
one  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States  the 
twenty  fifth.      By  The  Governor,  J  NO.  GiBSON,  Secretary. 

[Endorsed:]   Commission  Peter  Menard,  P2sq. 


Pierre  Menard  and  John  Edgar's  Commissions  as 
Associate  Judges  Criminal  Court,  Randolph  Co.: 

Indiana    )  William   Henry  Harrison   Esquire,  Gov- 

Territory  j  ernor  and  Commander  in  Chief  of  the 

Indiana  Territory,  to  John  Edgar  and  Peter  Menard  of 
the  County  of  Randolph  Esquires,  Greeting: 


^ 


32 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Whereas  we  assigned  the  Honble.  John  Griffin  P2sqr.  one 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Indiana  Terri- 
tory, our  Justice  to  enquire  by  the  Oaths  of  Honest  and 
Lawful  Men  of  the  County  of  Randolph,  by  whom  the 
truth  of  the  Matter  may  be  better  known,  of  all  Treasons, 
Insurrections  and  Rebellions,  and  of  all  Murders,  Felonies, 
Manslaughters,  Burglaries,  Rapes  of  Women,  unlawfull 
uttering  of  Words,  unlawful  assemblies.  Misprisions,  Con- 
federacies, false  allegations,  Trespasses,  Riots,  Routs,  Con- 
tempts, falsities.  Negligences,  Concealements,  Maintainces, 
Opressions,  deceits  and  all  other  Misdeeds,  Offences  & 
Injuries  whatsoever,  and  by  whomsoever  and  howsoever 
done,  had  or  perpetrated  and  Committed,  and  by  whom,  to 
whom,  where,  how  and  in  what  Manner  the  same  have 
been  done,  perpetrated  or  Committed  and  all  and  singular 
the  premises  and  every  of  then:"  for  this  time  to  hear 
and  determine  according  to  Law,  and  to  cause  to  be 
brought  before  him  all  the  prisoners  who  shall  be  in  the 
Jail  of  the  said  County  together  with  all  and  singular  the 
Warrants,  attachments,  Mittimuses,  and  other  documents, 
touching  the  said  prisoners,  and  for  this  time  to  deliver 
the  Jail  of  the  said  County  of  all  the  prisoners  in  the  said 
Jail,  for  all  and  every  of  the  said  offences,  according  to 
Law.  And  we  have  associated  you  the  said  John  Edgar 
and  Peter  Menard  to  act  in  the  premises  with  the  said 
John  Griffin.  Yet  so,  that  if  at  certain  days  and  places, 
which  the  same  John  Griffin  shall  appoint  for  this  purpose, 
you  shall  happen  to  be  present,  then  that  he  admit  you  a 
Companion,  otherwise  the  said  John  Griffin  (your  presence 
not  Being  expected)  may  proceed  to  act  in  the  premises. 
And  therefore  we  command  you  and  each  of  you  that  you 
attend  to  act  with  the  said  John  Griffin  in  form  aforesaid 
in  the  premises  For  we  have  Commanded  the  said  John 
Griffin  the  admit  you  as  a  Companion  for  this  purpose  as 
aforesaid. 


1 


1     '''MP^ 

^«L.^M.MMiiiBlliMii 


PIERRE   MENARD   PAPERS. 


33 


r^     jl     Witness:  William  Henry  Harrison  Esquire  Gov- 
ernor and  Commander  of  the  Indiana  Territory 
at  Vincennes  this  24th  September  1802  and  of  the  Inde- 
pendence of  the  United  States  the  Twenty  Seventh. 
By  the  Governor.    ^  f) 

Jno.  Gibson,     yL/L^€Z^^/^<^22±^  /^-gyn^n^oy^^ 
Secrety.  -— ^^ 

Indiana    |  William    Henry   Harrison    Esquire   Gov- 

Territory  j  ernor  of  the  Indiana  Territory  to  the 

Honble.  John  Griflfin  Esqr.  one  of  the  Judges  in  and  over 
said  Territory  and  John  Edgar  and  Peter  Menard  Esquires 
of  the  County  of  Randolph,     Greeting: 

Whereas,  we  have  assigned  you  the  aforesaid  John  Grif- 
fin our  Justice,  to  Inquire  more  fully  by  the  Oaths  of 
Honest  and  lawful  men  of  the  County  of  Randolph,  by 
whom  the  Truth  of  the  Matter  may  be  Better  known,  of 
all  treasons.  Insurrections  and  Rebellions,  and  of  all  Mur- 
ders, Felonies,  Manslaughter,  Burglaries,  Rapes  of  Women, 
unlawful  Uttering  of  Words,  unlawful  Assemblies,  Mis- 
prisons, Confederacies,  Maintainances,  Oppressions,  deceits 
and  all  other  Misdeeds  and  offences  and  Injuries,  whatso- 
ever and  by  whomsoever,  and  howsoever  done,  had,  per- 
petrated or  Committed  and  all  and  Singular  the  premises 
and  every  or  any  of  them  for  this  time,  to  hear  and  deter- 
mine according  to  Law.  And  afterwards  associated  the 
said  John  Edgar  and  Peter  Menard  with  you  the  aforesaid 
John  Griffin  in  the  premises,  We  Command  you,  that  if 
You  all  cannot  conveniently  attend  to  act  in  the  premises, 
that  you  or  any  two  of  you,  who  shall  happen  to  be  pres- 
ent, of  which  we  will  that  you  the  said  John  Grifiin  be 
one,  proceed  to  act  in  the  premises  according  to  Law. 
IS  n  ^'t"^ss  William  Henry  Harrison  Esquire  Gov- 
ernor of  the  Indiana  Territory  at  Vincennes  this 
Twenty  Fourth  day  of  September  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord 

3 


■■M 


34 


EARLY   IIXINOIS. 


one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  two  and  of  the  Indepen- 
dence of  the  United  States  the  Twenty  Seventh. 

By  the  Governor,         (sd)    WiLLM.  HENRY  HARRISON. 
Jxo.  Gibson,  Secrety. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  to  take  Testimony  in 

Land -Office  Claims: 

To  Pierre  Menard,  Esquire 

Reposing  full  Confidence  in  your  Integrity,  we  hereby 
appoint  you  a  Commissioner  to  examine  witnesses  and 
take  Depositions  within  the  County  of  Randolph,  in  sup- 
port of  Claims  entered  in  the  Registers  Office  of  the  Dis- 
trict of  Vincennes.  Given  under  our  Hands  this  14th  day 
of  December  1805.  John  Badollet 

Nathl.  C.  Pring 
Commissioner  of  the  land  office 

for  the  District  of  Vincennes. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Judge  of  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  Randolph  County: 

William   Henry  Harrison,  Governor,  and   Commander  in 

Chief  of  the   Indiana  Territory,  To   Pierre  Menard, 

Esquire,  of  the  County  of  Randolph,  sends  Greeting: — 

Know  you,  That  reposing  special  trust  and  confidence  in 

your  integrity,  judgment  and  abilities,  I  have  appointed, 

and  by  these  presents  I  do  appoint  and  commission  you 

the  said  Pierre  Menard  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Common 

Pleas,  in  the  said  County  of  Randolph,  hereby  giving  and 

granting  unto  you,  as  judge  of   the  common  pleas,   full 

right  and  title  to  have  and  execute  all  and  singular  the 

powers,  jurisdictions  and  authorities,  and  to  receive  and 

enjoy  all  and  singular  the  lawful  emoluments  of  a  judge 


1; 


'■^ 


■•«*i»aK«wii 


PIERRE   MENARD   TAPERS. 


35 


le  Indepen- 

:h. 

Harrison. 


timony  in 


we  hereby 
nesses  and 
Iph,  in  sup- 
of  the  Dis- 
is  14th  day 
iT 

id  office 
Vincennes. 


'  Court  of 

imander  in 
re  Menard, 
Greeting: — 

)nfidence  in 

appointed, 

nission  you 

)f  Common 

giving  and 

pleas,   full 

ingular  the 

'eceive  and 

of  a  judge 


[Seal] 


of  die  said  court  of  common  pleas:  to  have  and  to  hold 
this  commission,  and  the  office  hereby  granted  to  you,  the 
said  Pierre  Menard,  so  long  as  you  shall  behave  yourself 
well. 

Given  under  my  hand,  and  the  seal  of  the  said 
territory,  at  Vincennes,  this  Twenty  Seventh 
day  of  December,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  Plve,  of  the  independence  of  the  United 
States  of  America  the  thirtieth. 

This  Commission  to  be  in  force  from  and  after  the  ist 
day  of  January,  1806. 

By  the  Governor's  Command, 

Jno.  Gibson,  Secrerary. 

[Endorsed:]  Peter  Menards  Commission  as  Judge  of  the 
Court  of  Common  pleas. 

Indiana  Territory  )  ,  Before  me,  Michael  Jones  (duly 
Randolph  County  J  authorized  to  administer  the  oaths 
of  office  to  all  officers  civil  &  Military  of  said  County,  by 
Dedimus  potestatem  from  the  Governor  of  said  Territory 
dated  the  third  day  of  May  1806),  personally  appeared 
Peter  Menard  Esquire,  and  took  the  oaths  of  office  as 
Judge  of  the  Court  of  common  pleas  for  said  County  as 
required  by  law. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  Kaskaskia  the  eighteenth 
day  of  July  1806. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Lieutenant -Colonel 

of  First  Regiment  Randolph  County  Militia, 

under  the  Laws  of  Indiana  Territory: 

William   Henry  Harrison,  Governor  and   Commander  in 
Chief  of  the  Indiana  Territory,  to  Pierre  Menard, 
Esq'r,  Greeting: — 
Reposing  special  trust  and  ccMi-fidence  in  your  fidelity, 

courage  and  good  conduct,  L  h^ave  appointed  you  a  Lieu- 


1 1 

•  »       4 

1    .  J      -   »           I  )       I   ■ 

y    9       •    I    5      ft    k  -•     » 

fc    I  9  »     ^      5  'I  5    ,■ 


>    ,   t    1'   '•    Of' 


i 


30 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


tenant  Colonel  Commandant  of  the  first  regiment  of  the 
Militia  of  the  county  of  Randolph  and  you  are  hereby 
appointed  accordingly.  You  are  therefore  carefully  and 
diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  a  Lieut.  Colo.  Commandt. 
in  leading,  ordering  and  exercising  the  said  regiment  in 
arms,  both  inferior  officers  and  soldiers,  and  to  keep  them 
in  good  order  and  discipline,  and  they  are  hereby  com- 
manded to  obey  you  as  their  Lieutenant  Colo.  Commandt. 
and  your  are  yourself  to  observe  and  follow  such  orders 
and  instructions  as  you  shall  from  time  to  time  receive 
from  me  or  your  superior  officers. 

In  testimony  whereof,   I   have  hereunto  caused 

'■   ^^  J         the   seal  of    the  territory  to   be   affixed,   the 

twelfth  day  of  July  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 

eight  hundred  and   six  and  of   the  Independence  of   the 

United  States  of  America  the  thirty  first. 

WiLLM.  Henry  Harrison. 
By  the  Governor's  conimand, 

J  NO.  Gibson,  Secretary. 
[Endorsed:] 

Indiana  Territory,    )  Before  me  the  subscriber  (author- 

Randolph  County.    )  ized    by  Dcdimus  Potestatem 

from  the  Governor  of  said  Territory,  dated  the  third  day 
of  May,  1806,  to  administer  the  oaths  of  office  to  all  offi- 
cers civil  and  military  of  said  county)  personally  appeared 
Peter  Menard  Esquire,  and  tooi<  the  oaths  of  office  as 
Colonel  of  the  first  Regiment  of  Militia  of  Randolph 
County  as  required  by  law.  Given  under  my  hand  at 
Kaskaskia  the  i8th  day  of  July,  1806.  Micil.  JONES. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Captain  of  Infantry 
in  Louisiana  Territory: 

Meriwether  Lewis,  Governor  and  Commander  in  Chief 
of  the  Territory  nf  Louisiana,  to  all  who  shall  see 
these  presents,  Greeting: — 


•  J  I  I  I  • 


•  I  •  •■ 


PIERRE   MENARD   PAPERS. 


37 


me  receive 


Harrison. 


[Seal] 


Know  ye,  that  reposing  special  trust  and  confidence 
in  the  patriotism,  valour,  fidelity  and  abitities  of  Peter 
Menard  I  have  appointed  him  a  Captain  of  Infantry  in  a 
Detachmt.  of  Militia,  on  special  service  he  is  therefore 
carefully  and  diligently  to  discharge  the  duty  of  Captain 
by  doing  and  performing  all  manner  of  things  hereunto 
belonging,  and  I  do  strickly  charge  and  require  all  Officers 
and  Soldiers,  under  his  command  to  be  obedient  to  his 
orders  as  Captain  and  he  is  to  obey  such  orders  and  direc- 
tions from  time  to  time,  as  he  shall  receive  from  me,  or  his 
superior  officers.  This  commission  to  continue  in  force 
during  the  pleasure  of  the  Governor  of  the  Territory  for 
the  time  being. 

In  Testimony  Whereof,  I   have  caused  the  Seal 

of  the  Territory  t'^  Se  hereunto  affixed  this 

first  day  of  April  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand 

eight  hundred  and  nine  and  of  the  independence  of  the 

United  States  the  thirty  third. 

Meriwether  Lewis. 

By  Frederick  Bates,*  Secretary 

of  the  Territory  of  Louisiana. 

[Endorsed:]  Territory  of  Louisiana,  &c..  Personally 
appeared  before  me,  the  subscriber  duly  authorized  to  ad- 
minister the  several  oaths  to  Office  within  the  Territory 
aforesaid,  Peter  Menard  who  took  the  Oath  to  Support 

*  Frederick  Bates,  third  of  seven  sons  of  Thomas  Fleming  Bates,  merchant, 
was  born  at  Belmont,  Goodrich  Co.,  Virginia,  June  23,  1777;  after  receiving 
a  rudimentary  education,  was,  when  about  seventeen,  apprenticed  to  a  court- 
clerk,  thereby  supporting  himself,  by  doing  the  practical  duties  of  the  place, 
and  studying  law— intending,  as  was  then  the  common  practice  in  Virginia,  to 
go  through  the  clerk's  office  to  the  bar.  About  1795,  he  obtained  employ- 
ment in  the  quartermaster's  department  of  the  Army  of  the  Northwest  on  the 
frontier ;  intending  to  return  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  the  study  and  practice 
of  his  profession.  He  was  stationed  at  Detroit  but  was  often  on  business  at 
Mackinac  and  other  posts.  In  a  few  years  he  acquired  some  capital  as  a 
merchant  but  lost  the  greater  portion  of  it  by  the  fire  of  1805— which  was  a 


?Ba«£L3m£ 


^^PP 


38 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  as  well  as  the  oath 
faithfully  to  discharge  the  duties  of  a  Captain  of  Militia 
on  special  service  to  the  best  of  his  abilities,  skill,  and 
judgment,  and  in  conformity  to  the  within  Commission. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  St.  Louis  this   i8th  of  May, 
1809.  TlIOS.   F.   RiDDICK. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Lieutenant -Colonel 

of  First  Regiment  Randolph  County  Militia, 

under  the  Laws  of  Illinois  Territory: 

Nathaniel  Pope,  Secretary  of  the  Illinois  Territory,  and 
exercising  as  well  the  Government  as  Commander  in 
Chief  of  the  Militia  thereof,  To  all  who  shall  see 
these  Presents,  Greeting: — 

Know  ye,  that  reposing  special  trust  and  confidence  in 
the  patriotism,  valour,  fidelity  and  abilities  of  Pierre 
Menard  I  have  appointed  him  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  ist 
Regiment  of  Militia  of  Randolph  County  he  is  therefore 
carefully  and  diligently  to,  discharge  the  duty  of  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel  by  doing  and  performing  all  manner  of  things 
thereunto  belonging,  and  I  do  strictly  charge  and  require 
all  officers  and  .soldiers  under  his  command  to  be  obedient 
to  his  orders  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  he  is  to  obey  such 
orders  and  directions  from  time  to  time,  as  he  shall  receive 
from  the  Commander  in  Chief,  or  his  superior  officers. 

lucky  turn,  as  it  forced  him  from  a  business  that  was  unsuited  to  his  taste  and 
talent.  Having  by  this  time  acquired  a  large  experience  of  frontier  character 
and  business,  he  was  about  to  enter  the  profession  when  in  1805  he  was 
appointed  senior  associate-judge  of  the  territorial  district  and  land  commissioner 
'  i'resident  Jefferson,  who  with  his  Secretary  of  State,  James  Madison,  were 
t.-r  ^>  :>f  his  family.  In  1807,  he  was  transferred  to  St.  Louis,  Upper  Louisi- 
p-  .  as  secretary  of  the  Territory  and  United -States  recorder  of  land-titles; 
i"'*-.  ces  he  held  many  years — as  secretary  till  the  admission  of  Missouri 
ill  iS:  ...  and  the  recordership  till  1824,  when  he  was  elected  the  second 
governor  of  Missouri,  and  died  in  office  Aug.  4,  1825.  Edward  Bates, 
Lincoln's  attorney-general,  was  his  youngest  brother.  g.  h.  k. 


PIERRE   MENARD   PAPERS. 


39 


This  commission  to  continue  in  force  during  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  Governor  of  the  territory,  for  the  time  being. 

In  Testimony  Whereof,  I  have  hereunto  affixed 
'-        -'         my  private  seal,  there  being  no  seal  of  office,  at 
Kaskaskia,  the  Sixth  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord 
one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  nine  and  of  the  Indepen- 
dence of  the  United  States,  the  thirty-third.     Nat  Pope. 

[Endorsed:]  Lewtenaat  Colo.  P.  Menard. 

This  day  came  before  me  the  within  named  Piere  Men- 
ard and  took  an  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States. 


Kaskaskia  May  26th  1809. 


Pierre  Menard's  Commission  as  Indian  Agent: 

War  Dept,  April  2nd,  18 13. 
Pierre  Menard  Esqr. 

Sir — You  are  hereby  with  the  approbation  of  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  appointed  sub  agent  of  Indian 
affairs. 

In  discharging  the  duties  of  this  appointment  you  will 
be  governed  by  such  instructions  as  you  shall  receive  from 
this  Department  or  from  General  William  Clark,  Agent  of 
Indian  Affairs  at  St.  Louis,  M.  Territory. 

Your  compensation  will  be  at  the  rate  of  Six  hundred 
dollars  per  annum,  to  commence  on  the  date  of  your  enter- 
ing upon  the  duties  of  this  appointment. 

re     n     Given  at  the  War  Office  of  the  United  States, 
[SealJ 


&  thirteen. 


this   Second   day  of  April,  eighteen  hundred 

John  Armstrong. 


c 


^  ■    iu<»>iiiiii  ii-i.    iinii'ii 


i 


40 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Lewis  Cass  and  Pierre  Menard's  Commissions  to 
make  Indian  Treaties: 

John  Quincy  Adams,  President  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  To  all  who  shall  see  these  presents^ 
Greeting: — 

Know  Ye,  That  in  pursuance  of  the  Act  of  Congress 
passed  on  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  May,  1828;  entitled 
"An  act  to  enable  the  President  of  the  United  States  to 
hold  a  treaty  with  the  Chippewas,  Ottawas,  Pattawattimas, 
Winnebagoes,  Fox  and  Sacs  Nations  of  Indians,"  and 
reposing  special  Trust  and  Confidence  in  the  Abilities, 
Prudence  and  Fidelity  of  Lewis  Cass  of  the  Territory  of 
Michigan,  and  Pierre  Menard  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  I 
have  nominated  and  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  Senate,  do  appoint  them  Commissioners  of  the 
United  States,  with  full  power  and  authority  to  hold  con- 
ferences and  to  conclude  and  sign  a  treaty  or  treaties  with 
the  Chippewas,  Ottowas,  Pattawattimas,  Winnebagoes, 
F'ox  and  Sacs  Nations  of  Indians,  of  and  concerning  all 
matters  interesting  to  the  United  States,  and  the  said 
Nations  of  Indians,  transmitting  the  same  to  the  President 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  for  his  final  ratification 
by  and  with  the  consent  and  advice  of  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  This  commission  to  continue  in  force 
during  the  pleasure  of  the  President  of  the  United  States 
for  the  time  being. 

In  Testimony  whereof,  I  have  caused  these  Let- 


[Seal] 


ters  to  be  made  patent,  and  the  Seal  of  the 


United  States  to  be  hereunto  affixed.  Given  under  my 
hand  at  the  City  of  Washington,  the  twenty-fourth  day  of 
May,  A.D.  1828;  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States,  the  fifty-Second.  J.  Q.  Adams. 

By  the  President,     H.  Clay,  Secretary  of  State. 


''a 


m 


'icawft^"* 


PIERRE   MENARD   PAPERS. 


41 


ions  to 

d    States 
presents^ 

Congress 
;  entitled 
States  to 
ivattimas, 
ms,"  and 
Abilities, 
rritory  of 
Illinois,  I 
i  consent 
s  of  the 
hold  con- 
aties  with 
[lebagoes, 
rning  all 
the  said 
President 
itification 
,te  of  the 
in  force 
d  States 

lese  Let- 
il  of  the 

nder  my- 
th day  of 

;  United 

DAMS. 

e. 


Extracts  from  the  Parish  Registers  of  Saint  Antoine 
de  Richelieu  ou  Chambly,  Province  de  Quebec^ 
Comte  de  Vercheres,  Canada: 

RECORD   OF   MARRIAGE   OF    PIERRE    MENARD'S    PARENTS: 

Le  14  Fevrier,  1763,  J.  Bte  Menard  dit  Brindamour  soldat 
du  regiment  de  Guienne,  age  de  28  ans,  fils  de  feu  J.  Bte 
Menard,  et  de  Madelaine  Reboulla  ses  pere  et  mere  de  la 
paroisse  de  St.  Hypolite  Diocese  d'Alis,  epousa  Marie 
Fran9oise  Cir^e,  agee  de  22  ans,  fiUe  de  J.  B'e  Ciree  dit 
St.  Michel,  et  de  Marguerite  Bonin,  de  cette  paroisse, 

(Translation:) 

The  fourteenth  of  February,  1763,  J.  Baptiste  Menard,, 
called  Brindamour,  soldier  of  the  regiment  of  Guienne, 
aged  28  years,  son  of  the  late  J.  Baptiste  Menard  and  of 
Madelaine  Reboulla,  his  father  and  mother  of  the  parish 
of  Saint  Hypolite,  diocese  of  Alis,  married  Marie  Fran- 
9oise  Ciree,  aged  22  years,  daughter  of  J.  Baptiste  Ciree, 
called  ^aint  Michel,  and  of  Marguerite  Bonin  of  this 
parish. 

RECORD   OF  THE   BAPTISM   OF   PIERRE   MENARD: 

"L'an  mil  sept  soixante  et  six  le  huit  d' Octobre  par 
Nous  pretre  soussigne  cure  de  cette  paroisse  a  ete  baptise 
Pierre  ne  d'  hier  au  soir  du  legitime  mariage  de  Jean  Bap- 
tiste Menard  dit  Brindamour  et  de  Marie  Fran^oise  Ciree 
ditte  St.  Michel.  Le  perrain  a  ete  Pierre  Vandaridaigue 
dit  Gadbois,  et  la  marraine  Louise  Ciree  ditte  St.  Michel 
tante  de  1'  enfant  qui  ont  declare  ne  savoir  signer. 

J.  B.  Menard.  Gervaise,  P'tre." 

(Translation:) 

The  year  seventeen  hundred  and  sixty-six,  the  eighth 
of  October,  by  us  the  undersigned  priest,  vicar  of  this 
parish,  was  baptized  Pierre,  born  yesterday  evening  of 


^ 


42 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


the  legitimate  marriage  of  Jean  Baptiste  Menard,  called 
Brindamour,  and  Marie  Fran^oise  Ciree,  called  St.  Michel. 
The  godfather  was  Pierre  Vandandaigue,  called  Gadbois, 
and  the  godmother  Louise  Ciree,  called  St.  Michel,  aunt 
of  the  infant,  who  have  declared  that  they  do  not  know 
how  to  write. 

J.  B.  Mknari).  Gervais'",  Priest. 


Extracts  from  Parish  Registers  of  the  Church  of  the 
Immaculate  Conception  at  Kaskaskia,  Illinois: 

RECORD   OF  THE   FIRST   >L\RRIAGE   OF   PIERRE  MENARD: 

"L'an  mil  sept  cent  quatre  vingt  douze,  le  treize  de 

Juin  apres  av^oir  donne  dispense  de  trois  bans  de  mariage 

entre    Pierre    Menard    fils    legitime   de   Jean    Menard   et 

iM'ancoise  Cireey,  natif  de  la  paroisse  de  Saint  Antoine 

en  Canada,  Commer^ant  de  ce  poste,  et  Therese  Gaudin 

Durangeau  fille  legitime   de   defunt    Michel    Gaudin   dit 

Durangeau,  et  Therese  Raphael,  native  de  cette  paroisse, 

ne  s'  etant  decouvert  aucun  empechement,  j'  ai  fe9U  leur 

consentement   mutuel,   et  leur  ai    donne   la   Benediction 

nuptiale  selon  les  ceremoines  de  notre  Sainte  i;nere  I'Eglise 

Catholique  et  Romaine,  et  ce  en  presence  des  temoins  et 

leurs  parents  reciproques  selon  1'  ordonnance  apres  lecture 

faits.  De  Saint  Pierre, 

Miss,  apost. 
JN.  Edgar, 

William  St.  Clair, 

w.  morrisson, 

la  marque 

de  +  Nicholas  Canada, 

Elisabeth  Maxwell." 


Therese  Godin, 
Pierre  Menard, 
B.  Tardiveau, 

dan  IS 

Francois  Janis, 
Jeane  St.  Clair, 


(Translation:) 

The  year  seventeen  hundred  and  ninety-two,  the  thir- 
teenth  of  June,   after  having  dispensed   with  the  three 


•-*■ 


.ui^i. 


riERRE   MENARD    PAPERS. 


43 


bans  of  marriage  between  Pierre  Menard,  legitimate  son 
of  Jean  Menard  and  Francois  Ciree,  native  of  the  parish 
of  Saint  Antoine  in  Canada,  trader  at  this  post,  and 
Thcrese  Gaudin  Durangeau,  legitimate  daughter  of  the 
deceased  Michel  Gaudin,  called  Durangeau,  and  Theresa 
Raphael,  native  of  this  parish,  not  having  discovered  any 
impediment,  I  have  received  their  mutual  consent,  and 
have  given  them  the  nuptial  benediction  according  to  the 
ceremonies  of  our  holy  Mother  the  Catholic  and  Roman 
Church,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  witnesses  and  their 
respective  parents,  according  to  the  ordinance  after  read- 


ing made. 


By  Saint  Pierre, 

Mission  Apostolic. 


RECORD   OF   THE   BURIAL  OF   PIERRE   MENARD: 

"On  the  fourteenth  of  June,  1844,  I  the  undersigned 
]5uried  the  remains  of  Colonel  Pierre  Menard  in  his  vault 

in  the  graveyard  of  this  Parish,  thither  he  was 

accompanied  by  an  immense  concourse  of  People. 

"He  died  yesterday the  at   1}^,  having 

previously  received  the  last  sacraments,  he  was  72  years 
old.*  J.  M.  I.  St.  CYR.t  parish  Priest." 

*  The  blanks  in  the  above  entry  represent  words  in  the  original  entry 
which  can  not  now  be  deciphered.  The  statement  of  his  age  is  manifestly 
incorrect,  and  some  one  has  scratched  with  a  lead  pencil  the  figure  "  2  "  in 
the  original  entry  and  has  written  "6"  over  the  "2",  and  has  also  written  "  76" 
in  pencil  over  the  "  72".  This  approximates  to  the  truth,  but  Pierre  Menard's 
exact  age  at  the  time  of  his  death,  as  shown  by  the  register  of  his  baptism, 
w^as  seventy-seven  years,  eight  months,  and  six  days.  k.  g.  m. 

t  John  Mary  Ireneus  St.  Cyr,  born  in  November,  1803,  and  educated  in 
France;  ordained  in  St.  Louis,  April  6,  1833;  arrived  in  Chicago,  May  i, 
1833,  ^"d  became  its  first  resident  priest;  organized  its  first  congregation  and 
built  its  first  Catholic  church — southwest  corner  Lake  and  State  Streets; 
where  he  remained  until  1837,  when  he  returned  to  St.  Louis;  and  died  at 
Carondolet,  Mo.,  Feb.  21,  1884. — c.  H.  K. 


■Hi 


-.t--- 


|~lK5.i 


.1       \ 


NOEL   LE   VASSEUR. 

By  Stephen  R.  Moore  of  Kankakee,  Illinois. 


AT  a  meeting  of  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  of  Iro- 
l\.  quois  County,  held  on  the  ground  where  Gurdon 
S.  Hubbard  and  Noel  le  Vasseur,  in  the  service  of  the 
American  Fur-Company,  had  a  stock  of  merchandise  and 
established  a  trading-post  with  the  Pottawatomie  Indians, 
Mr.  Hubbard  said  that  he  first  visited  this  site  in  1822. 
Noel  le  Vasseur  claimed  to  the  writer  of  this  sketch,  that 
he  came  to  this  place  in  1820,  and  at  one  of  the  old 
settlers'  meetings,  which  he  attended,  I  spoke  for  him 
and  made  this  statement,  at  his  request,  and  he  pointed 
out  the  ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  Iroquois  River 
where  Mr.  Hubbard  and  himself  built  the  first  dry-goods 
store,  in  the  territory  tributary  to  Chicago. 

It  will  be  difficult  to  reconcile  with  exactness  the  dates 
of  the  pioneer  lives  of  Hubbard  and  Vasseur  in  their  first 
trading  with  the  Indians  in  Illinois.  I  shall  briefly  give 
the  events  and  times  as  I  gathered  them  from  the  lips 
of  Mr.  Vasseur.  It  is  possible  that  Hubbard  may  have 
sent  Vasseur  to  Illinois  two  years  br7fore  he  went  there.* 
In  this  connection  it  is  well  to  stale  that  Mr.  Vasseur  had 
no  educational  advantages,  and  could  neither  read  nor 
write,  and  hence  he  relied  wholly  upon  memory  to  fix 
dates. 

In  a  log-cabin  at  Saint  Michel  d'  Yamaska,  Canada,  on 
Christmas  night,  1799,  was  born  the  subject  of  this  memoir. 

*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  am  positively  informed  that  Mr.  Vasseur  pre- 
ceded Mr.  Hubbard  to  Illinois  two  years,  and  is  therefore  the  pioneer  mer- 
chant and  trader  for  this  part  of  the  Northwest.— S.  R.  Moore,  Mar.  5,  1889. 

44 


I 


;.■£ 


■L 


«f 


iMi 


-tm 


XT? 


nois. 


n  of  Iro- 
;  Gurdon 
:e  of  the 
idise  and 
)  Indians, 

in  1822. 
stch,  that 
'  the  old 

for  him 
i  pointed 
ois  River 
Iry-goods 


»> 


:ivl 


the  dates 
their  first 
iefly  give 
1  the  Hps 
nay  have 
It  there.* 
;seur  had 
read  nor 
ry  to  fix 


:f 


anada,  on 
3  memoir. 

Vasseur  pre- 
pioneer  mer- 
klar.  5,  1889. 


Nof^f  --  Vai^xi^e 


^^^^^ 


I  wilfJIWiwi  iiiiiBiiim'IfcMiii      ■     • — 


i'Tc    (.;ur'' 

■  )mic  lncl':..n.- 
/  -i  :i!tc  in      8JJ- 
'    ■■■■       k.:tA;l:.  tlKit 
..    ■:.'.    >.(  the   '.'.; 
'     i    s|>wkc   fnr    hi  ill 
■    -.'    ..i\  I  lie  poin: 
r  the   IroquDi'i    Hi 


...  ..!■  .■  .  me  il.t' 
■•-:'-  .11'  i'l  their  r 

r^haU  briefly  ;:; 
'"tn   {V(>ai   the  h' 

h'>.'ird  uiAy  ji; 

•■•    ^^■,•■  '  •      fV.ri 


t'ser   read 
'.■^r.iorv   in 


•f  th!>  n\cn  • 

.'  r     \'aK.i<Mr    , 

•   I'v:  pioneer  u 
.  Mar.  i,  ! 


ti    r>i    [ru- 
(j  lire. 

itti^se  an 

in     hi  I 

t    Ihc   •  ' 
for    '  ■  ' 


■     C    ii' 

'  tl  ■  ■ 


\  .I'- 


oi-;  11 


m. 


mmmr 


f 


5.«;'^l 


•If 


NOEL   LE  VASSEUR. 


45 


His  parents  were  poor  and  unlettered.  They  commemo- 
rated the  event  by  calHng  the  boy  Noel,  which  means 
Christmas.  He  led  a  quiet  and  uneventful  life  on  the 
farm  until  May,  1817,  when  he  astonished  his  parents  by 
announcing  to  them  that  he  had  entered  the  service  of 
one  Rocheblave,*  in  company  with  eighty  young  men, 
who  were  hired  to  go  into  the  West  to  trade  with  the 
Indians.  His  parents  were  startled  at  this  unexpected 
announcement,  and  sought  to  dissuade  him  from  going. 
The  love  of  adventure  was  too  strong  for  the  parental 
love  and  authority,  and  without  a  penny  in  money  or  a 
change  of  clothing,  in  his  seventeenth  year,  he  sought  his 
fortune  in  the  great  and  unknown  West. 

They  left  Montreal,  May  15,  18 17,  and  embarked  on  the 
St.  Lawrence,  with  two  years'  supplies  of  food  and  cloth- 
ing, destined  to  reach  Mackinac.  I  do  not  think  that 
Vasseur  knows  the  route  followed  to  reach  the  Straits  of 
Mackinac.  He  was  certain  they  did  not  come  by  way  of 
Niagara  Falls.  He  said  the  company  made  two  fatiguing 
portages  with  their  boats  and  supplies,  and,  after  undergo- 
ing very  great  hardships  they  reached  Lake  Huron  and 
again  embarked  for  the  Straits.f  John  Jacob  Astor  had 
established  a  trading-post  and  depot  of  supplies  at  Macki- 
nac, and  when  they  reached  there,  in  the  summer  of  18 17, 
Rocheblave  sold  all  his  rights  to  the  services  of  his  men 
and  his  outfit  and  supplies  to  the  American  Fur-Company, 
and  Vasseur  and  his  companions  passed  into  the  service 
of  this  powerful  association. 

These  Canadian  voyagcurs  soon  learned  that  all  was  not 

*  This  is  the  name  of  the  last  governor  of  the  Illinois  under  British 
authority,  who  was  in  Canada  and  in  trade  after  the  war  of  the  Revolution, 
and  it  is  possible  that  this  is  the  same  person  or  his  son. — e.  c.  m. 

t  This  party  doubtless  went  up  the  Ottawa  River  to  the  Mattawan,  by 
this  stream  and  a  portage  to  Lake  Nipissing,  and  thence  down  French  River 
to  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron,  a  route  explored  by  Champlain  in 
1615,  and  often  used  by  the  early  traders.— e.  c.  m. 


wuf ——_ 


46 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


gold  that  glittered.  The  labor  was  very  severe  and  often- 
times perilous,  and  the  fare  coarse  and  frequently  scanty. 
Vasseur's  love  of  adventure  was  not  satisfied;  he  had  met 
an  Indian  who  told  him  of  a  beautiful  land  in  the  West 
and  the  greatest  river  in  the  world,  and  he  invited  Vasseur 
to  go  with  him.  Actuated  by  a  spirit  of  adventure  which 
seems  almost  foolhardy,  young  Vasseur  and  a  companion 
left  the  service  of  the  Fur  Company,  and  in  company  with 
their  Indian  friend,  in  a  slight  Indian  canoe,  started  "to 
go  West."  They  followed  the  we.st  shore  of  Lake  Michi- 
gan until  it  led  them  into  Green  Bay.  They  ascended 
Fox  River  to  where  Portage  City  now  stands,  made  the 
portage,  and  embarked  their  little  craft  on  the  Wisconsin 
River,  on  which  they  floated  down  to  the  present  site  of 
Prairie-du-Chien.  The  Indians  claimed  they  were  the 
first  white  men  who  had  ever  made  the  voyage  over  the 
Fox  and  Wisconsin  rivers.*  Vasseur  said  he  found  the 
Indians  exceedingly  friendly,  and  he  became  a  great  favor- 
ite with  the  chief  of  the  tribe.  He  taught  the  Indians 
many  useful  things  in  fishing  and  hunting,  and  he  accom- 
panied them  on  their  annual  fall  hunt,  when  they  were 
making  provision  for  a  winter  supply. 

When  spring  came,  he  concluded  to  return  to  Mackinac. 
Here  an  unexpected  obstacle  presented  itself.  The  Indian 
chief  refused  to  let  him  depart.  He  claimed  to  have 
adopted  him  into  his  tribe.  The  outlook  was  not  very 
encouraging  to  a  boy  eighteen  years  old,  and  many  thou- 
sand miles  away  from  home,  and  in  a  country  that  he  knew 
but  little  of  Vasseur  and  his  companion  had  learned 
much  of  the  Indian  language,  but  the  Indians  had  not 
learned  their  language.  While  appearing  to  be  willing  to 
remain,  they  were  forming  plans  to  get  away,  and  in  the 
French  tongue  freely  discussed  the  ways  and  means  to 
accomplish  it. 

*  It  is  evident  that  the  Indians  were  deceiving  iheir  young  white  friends, 
or  had  never  heard  of  Joliet  and  Marquette,  and  their  successors.— E.  (..  M. 


f\    K 


-U  ~ 


NOEL   LE  VASSEUR. 


47 


They  supplied  themselves  with  some  dried  venison  and 
smoked  coon  meat,  and  seizing  a  favorable  opportunity 
they  started  on  foot  for  Green  Bay,  following  the  course 
of  the  Wisconsin  and  Fox  rivers,  and  after  many  weary 
days  of  travel  they  reached  the  bay,  in  an  almost  starved 
and  naked  condition.  The  rivers  abounded  with  fish,  and 
they  were  able  to  secure  enough  to  keep  them  from  starv- 
ing. Fortunately  a  temporary  camp  had  been  established 
at  the  mouth  of  Fox  River  by  the  American  Fur-Com- 
pany, and  in  this  camp  they  were  given  shelter  and  pro- 
visions, and  sent  to  fur-company  headquarters  at  Mackinac. 
He  went  to  work  again  for  the  company,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  assorting  and  packing  the  furs  for  shipment 
East.  Frequently  during  this  and  the  succeeding  year  he 
was  sent  out  to  distant  posts  to  trade  with  the  Indians. 
He  had  learned  to  talk  with  the  Indians  while  at  Prairie- 
du-Chien,  and  this  knowledge  was  valuable  to  the  com- 
pany, and  gave  Vasseur  a  wider  field  of  operations.  With- 
out affirming  it  as  a  positive  fact,  it  is  my  impression  that 
he  met  Gurdon  S,  Hubbard  at  Mackinac  for  the  first  time 
in  the  fall  of  1818,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  a  friend- 
ship very  dear  and  an  intimacy  lasting  as  long  as  they 
lived.  Mr.  Hubbard  did  not  leave  Montreal  in  the  service 
of  the  fur  company  until  April,  18 18,  and  reached  Macki- 
nac, July  14,  which  was  shortly  before  the  time  Vasseur 
had  returned  from  Prairie-du-Chien. 

In  1820,  the  company  determined  to  establish  a  trad- 
ing-po.st  in  Illinois,  with  the  Pottawatomies,  a  tribe  that, 
was  reported  to  be  very  strong  and  very  successful  in 
securing  furs.  In  the  winter  of  18 19  or  spring  of  1820, 
young  Vasseur,  under  the  direction  of  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard, 
started  around  Lake  Michigan,  bound  for  the  Illinois  coun- 
try, with  an  outfit  of  provisions  and  a  stock  of  goods 
suitable  to  trade  with  the  Indians.  He  took  with  him 
sufficient  men  to  man  the  boats,  and  they  followed  the 


f 


■■ 


-jjrs^i^ 


■H 


■•"•WW*"*- 


48 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


west  shore  of  Lake  Michigan  until  they  reached  Chicago. 
They  proceeded  up  the  Chicago  River  as  far  as  they  could 
go,  and  then  made  the  portage  to  the  Desplaines  River, 
and  thence  down  that  river  to  its  junction  with  the  Kan- 
kakee. The  descent  to  the  Kankakee  was  easily  accom- 
plished. At  this  point  the  real  hardship  of  the  voyage 
began.  The  water  was  high  and  the  current  very  swift. 
They  had  engaged  an  Indian  guide  before  they  reached 
Chicago, 

The  Kankakee  River  was  ascended  partly  by  rowing, 
sometimes  by  wading  along  the  shore  and  dragging  their 
boats,  or  getting  aU  ig-side  and  pushing  them.  Frequently 
but  a  few  mde  i;'  '  be  made  in  a  day.  When  they 
reached  the  Iroquois,  the  river  was  narrower  and  the  cur- 
rent less  swifi,  aial  its  ascent  was  not  so  difificult.  In  the 
fall  of  1820,  they  landed  on  the  bank  of  the  Iroquois 
River,  at  the  point  where  the  Cincinnati,  Indianapolis, 
St.  Louis  &  Chicago  Railroad  crosses  the  river.  For 
many  years  thereafter  the  place  was  called  Bunkum.  It 
is  now  called  Iroquois.  As  all  roads  now  lead  to  Chicago, 
then  all  trails  led  to  this  crossing  on  the  Iroquois. 

There  was  a  trail  running  west  and  south  from  this 
point,  following  the  river  to  Spring  Creek,  and  then  up 
the  creek  and  westward  toward  where  Paxton  now  stands. 
Another  trail  went  north  and'  east,  following  the  sand 
ridges  west  of  Beaver  Lake  in  Indiana,  crossing  the  Kan- 
kakee west  of  the  .state  line,  and  on  northward  to  Lake 
Michigan.  Another  trail  led  north  and  west,  following 
the  Iroquois  River  to  the  Kankakee,  and  along  the  Kan- 
kakee through  Bourbonais'  Grove;  then  to  Rock  Village, 
the  home  of  Yellow  Head,  an  Indian  chief;  then  to  Hick- 
ory Creek,  in  Will  County;  and  then  to  the  Desplaines 
River,  and  on  to  Chicago.  Another  trail  branched  ofif  at 
Rock  Village,  going  south  and  west  near  to  where  Ottawa 
is.     A  trail  went  almost  due  south  through  Danville,  and 


NOEL   LE  VASSEUR. 


49 


then  south  to  southern  Illinois.  The  most  important  trail 
ran  south  and  east  to  the  Wabash  River,  where  was  fought 
the  battle  of  Camp  Tippecanoe.  This  point  was  in  the 
heart  of  the  Pottawatomie  country,  and  was  well  chosen 
by  the  fur  company,  as  an  advantageous  point  to  establish 
a  trading-post. 

At  the  old  settlers'  meeting,  heretofore  referred  to,  Vas- 
seur  pointed  out  the  exact  spot  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
river  where  they  built  their  storehouse,  which  they  com- 
pleted and  occupied  before  the  cold  weather  set  in,  in  the 
fall  of  1820.  The  Indians  were  very  friendly  to  the  white 
men,  and  a  very  successful  commerce  was  carried  on.  The 
furs  were  assorted  and  packed,  and  for  ten  years  or  more 
were  carried  to  Chicago  by  the  same  route  they  had  come. 
As  early  as  1823  or  1824,  they  packed  to  Chicago  on  In- 
dian ponies  and  returned  with  goods.  From  whatever  time 
Hubbard  came  to  the  Iroquois,  Vasseur  assisted  him  in 
conducting  the  American  Fur-Company's  business  in  Illi- 
nois. They  feared  no  danger  from  the  Indians.  The  white 
traders  could  have  been  destroyed  at  any  moment,  but  the 
Indians  looked  upon  the  traders  as  their  best  friends. 
Vasseur  was  never  threatened  by  them  but  once. 

In  1822,  he  went  to  Rock  Village,  on  the  Kankakee,  to 
open  a  trade  with  the  Indians  congregated  there.  The 
Indians  were  in  receipt  of  an  indemnity  from  the  general 
government,  and  were  supplied  with  gold  and  silver.  He 
took  two  men  with  him,  and  an  outfit  of  merchandise  and 
two  kegs  of  "life  water,"  as  it  was  called  by  the  Indians. 
This  was  his  mistake,  and  it  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  He 
is  not  the  only  person  who  has  made  a  mistake  in  the  use 
of  "life  water."  The  Indians  discovered  he  was  supplied 
with  it,  and  refused  to  trade  until  they  were  given  some 
of  this  water.  He  had  concealed  the  precious  stuff  in  the 
woods.  The  Indians  refused  to  be  comforted.  The  chief 
approached  him  and  said  they  had  made  a  vow  to  the 

4 


f 


.'"l^    ^-  •Jfif^aBBiriffTin 


50 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


M^ 


Great  Spirit,  which  could  not  be  broken,  tl>at  they  would 
buy  nothing  until  he  brought  out  the  kegs. 

Vasseur  had  to  yield.  They  formed  a  circle  around  him 
and  praised  his  great  qualities  as  a  good  friend,  until  they 
drank  the  kegs  empty,  and  all  btcame  magnificently  drunk 
and  fiercely  warlike.  Yellow  Mead,  their  chief,  foresaw 
the  trouble  that  was  coming,  and  helped  Vasseur  and  his 
companions  pack  up  their  goods  and  move  a  dozen  miles 
away  before  they  camped  for  the  night. 

So  well  were  the  white  traders  liked,  that  Hubbard  mar- 
ried the  daughter  of  one  of  the  head  men,  in  1824.  Her 
name  was  Watseka.  She  was  a  very  beautiful  girl,  with 
features  and  form  more  like  the  Caucasian  than  the  Indian, 
Hubbard  maintained  wifely  relations  with  her  until  he  left 
the  service  of  the  fur  company,  and  went  to  Danville  to 
live.  After  Hubbard  went  away,  Vasseur  carried  on  the 
business  of  Indian  trader  until  the  tribe  removed  West, 
after  the  treaty  of  Camp  Tippecanoe,  in  October,  1833. 
Hubbard  had  an  Indian  divorce  from  Watseka  when  he 
went  away.  The  year  following,  Vasseur  married  her,  and 
she  bore  him  three  children. 

Just  what  the  ceremony  of  an  Indian  marriage  and  the 
process  of  an  Indian  divorce  was,  I  am  not  advised.  But 
it  was  all  done  in  accordance  with  the  customs  of  the 
Indians,  and  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  their  chief  men. 
Nor  let  it  be  inferred  that  Watseka  held  immoral  rela- 
tions with  these  men.  She  was  a  true  woman,  and  faith- 
ful to  her  husband  while  he  remained  her  husband.  And 
she  was  equally  faithful  to  Vasseur,  and  he  ever  spoke 
kindly  of  her,  and  when  he  left  her  he  gave  her  a  large 
fund  amounting  to  several  thousand  dollars.  A  better 
civilization  would  condemn  such  easy  marriage  and  easy 
divorce,  but  when  I  see  how  easy  marriage  and  divorce  are 
made  in  Illinois,  I  do  not  think  we  have  made  the  same 
progress  in  this  line  as  we  have  in  commerce  and  trade 


'f: 


■  V 


■mi^ 


^«p 


NOEL   LE  VASSEUR. 


51 


since  the  days  of  Hubbard  and  Vasseur  on  the  banks  of 
the  Iroquois  River. 

Vasseur  says  that  the  Indians  told  him  that  formerly 
game  was  very  abundant  on  these  prairies,  and  that  great 
droves  of  buffaloes  made  this  valley  their  home.  They 
spoke  of  the  Storm  Spirit  getting  very  angry  at  the  In- 
dians, and  sending  a  great  snowfall  and  very  cold  weather, 
and  this  storm  drove  the  buffaloes  away,  and  they  never 
returned.  He  locates  the  time  of  the  great  storm  between 
1770  and  1780. 

Vass'^ur  made  several  trips  to  Mackinac,  where  he  per- 
sonally superintended  the  shipment  of  furs  and  the  selec- 
tion of  goods  suitable  to  the  wants  of  his  Indian  friends. 
He  had  learned  the  Indian  language,  and,  with  Hubbard, 
was  employed  by  the  United-States  commissioners  as  in- 
terpreters in  the  negotiations  of  the  treaty  of  Camp  Tip- 
pecanoe, conducted  October  20,  1832,  and  ratified  January 
21,  1833. 

By  this  treaty  the  United  States  received  a  magnificent 
territory,  and  the  Indians  were  induced  to  give  up  the 
finest  hunting  and  fishing  ground  that  ever  existed.  The 
Kankakee  River  and  its  tributaries  and  creeks  abounded 
with  the  mink,  musk-rat,  raccoon,  otter,  and  beaver,  while 
the  deer  were  as  plenty  as  are  now  the  horned  cattle. 
The  river  was  the  home  of  the  salmon,  black-bass,  rock- 
bass,  and  pickerel. 

The  two  leading  chiefs  of  the  Pottawatomies  were  Sha- 
bonee  and  Sha-wa-na-see,  They  were  warm  friends  of 
Hubbard  and  Vasseur,  and  were  known  to  be  the  friends 
of  the  white  men.  In  the  Black-Hawk  war,  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  tried  to  form  an  alliance  with  the  Pottawatomies, 
and  made  two  visits  to  Shabonee  and  Sha-wa-na-see  to 
induce  them  to  join  in  the  war,  but  it  was  of  no  avail. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  Hubbard  and  Vasseur  had  much 
to  do  in  influencing  these  chiefs.     Had  they  joined  Black 


mm 


52 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Hawk,  it  is  certain  the  contest  would  have  been  prolonged 
and  many  lives  would  have  been  lost.  The  secret  of  their 
great  influence  over  the  Indians  was  the  fact  that  they 
treated  them  fairly,  gave  them  full  value  for  their  furs,  and 
under  no  circumstances  would  they  ever  deceive  them. 

By  the  treaty  of  Camp  Tippecanoe,  the  Indian  title  was 
extinguished  to  all  that  tract  of  land  included  within  the 
following  boundary,  t7^..-  "Beginning  at  a  point  on  Lake 
Michigan,  ten  miles  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Chicago 
River;  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  on  the  Kankakee 
River,  ten  miles  above  its  mouth;  thence  down  said  river 
and  the  Illinois  River  to  the  mouth  of  the  Fox  River, 
being  the  boundary  of  a  cession  made  by  them  in  1816; 
thence  with  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Indian  territory 
to  the  state  line  between  Illinois  and  Indiana;  thence 
north  with  said  line  to  Lake  Michigan;  thence  with  the 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan  to  the  place  of  beginning." 

For  this  magnificent  domain,  this  government  gave  the 
Indians  an  annuity  of  $15,000  for  the  term  of  twenty 
years,  and  the  further  sum  of  $28,746  was  applied  to  the 
payment  of  certain  claims,  and  $45,000  in  merchandise  to 
be  paid  immediately,  and  $30,000  in  merchandise  was  to 
be  paid  them  in  Chicago  in  1833.  Inasmuch  as  the  party 
of  the  first  part  put  its  own  price  on  the  merchandise,  and 
Mr.  Indian  did  not  know  the  true  value  thereof,  the  mer- 
chandise does  not  count  for  very  much  in  this  trade. 

As  a  recognition  of  the  friendly  character  of  Indians 
during  the  late  war  with  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  the  treaty 
contains  this  clause:  "The  said  tribe  [of  Pottawatomies] 
having  been  faithful  allies  of  the  United  States  during  the 
late  contest  with  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  in  consideration 
thereof  the  United  States  agree  to  permit  them  to  hunt 
and  fish  on  the  lands  ceded,  as  also  on  the  lands  of  the 
government  on  Wabash  and  Sangamon  rivers,  so  long  as 
the  same  shall  remain  the  property  of  the  United  States." 


:^l 


NOEL   LE  VASSEUR. 


53 


rolonged 
of  their 
lat  they 
furs,  and 
hem. 
title  was 
ithin  the 
on  Lake 
Chicago 
vankakee 
5aid  river 
3X   River, 
in  1816; 
I  territory 
i;    thence 
with  the 


ng- 


gave  the 
of  twenty 
ied  to  the 
handise  to 
ise  was  to 
5  the  party 
indise,  and 
f,  the  mer- 
•ade. 

of  Indians 
,  the  treaty 
awatomies] 
during  the 
nsideration 
im  to  hunt 
ands  of  the 
,  so  long  as 
:ed  States." 


Inasmuch  as  the  poor  Indian  was*sent  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  the  following  year,  and  there  were  no  bridges 
acro;>s  the  river,  and  civilization  had  taken  possession  of 
tlie  state  bordering  the  river,  and  it  was  quite  unhealthy 
ior  an  Indian  to  travel  east  ./ard,  it  is  not  perceived  that 
this  clause  was  of  much  bene^t  to  the  tribe. 

A  much  more  practical  clause  was  placed  in  the  treaty, 
allowing  them  pay  "for  horses  stolen  from  them  during 
the  late  war,"  wherein  we  find  the  cheapest  horse  stolen 
by  the  United  States  "during  the  late  war"  was  $40,  and 
the  highest  was  $160,  with  a  general  average  of  about  $80. 
Since  the  United  States  had  obtained  the  land  so  cheap, 
they  could  afford  to  be  liberal  in  making  restitution  for 
stolen  horses. 

Among  the  moneys  to  be  paid  is  an  item  of  $5573  to 
Gurdon  S.  Hubbard,  and  to  Noel  le  Vasseur,  $1800.  Hub- 
bard and  Vasseur  had  rendered  the  government  valuable 
II  services  before  and  at  the  time  of  the  Black-Hawk  war. 
They  learned  through  Shabonee  and  Sha-wa-na-see  the 
plans  of  the  hostile  tribes,  and  Hubbard,  in  person,  com- 
manded a  company  of  scouts,  that  went  to  the  relief  of 
the  settlements  in  LaSalle,  and  these  payments  were  made 
to  them  in  compensation  for  such  services,  as  well,  also, 
for  acting  as  interpreters  in  the  negotiation  of  the  treaty. 

Vasseur  was  appointed  the  agent  of  the  United  States 
to  remove  the  Indians  to  their  reservation  at  Council 
Bluffs,  Iowa.  This  work  was  completed  in  1836.  Many 
of  them  did  not  want  to  leave  Illinois,  and  made  many 
objections  thereto.  Who  can  blame  them .''  They  had 
sold  their  lands  for  a  mess  of  pottage,  and  they  knew  it. 
Vasseur  accomplished  this  difficult  uudertaking  without 
any  acts  of  violence  and  to  "the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
government.  In  the  meantime  he  had  made  a  purchase 
of  some  land  at  Bourbonais  Grove,  where  St.Viateur's 
College  now  stands. 


.^"' 


54 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


'I 


In  1837,  he  married* Miss  Ruth  Bull  of  Danville.  She 
died  in  i860.  He  had  eight  children  by  this  marriage, 
four  boys  and  four  girls.  The  oldest,  Edward,  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry,  and  died  in  the  service; 
George  died  in  Memphis,  in  1871,  with  yellow  fever;  Wil- 
liam died  while  very  small;  and  Alfred  died  in  1876.  The 
girls  died  after  reaching  woman's  estate,  except  the  young- 
est, Mrs.  Dr.  Monast,  who  now  lives  in  Chicago.  Father 
Perry,  connected  with  the  catholic  bishop  of  Chicago,  is 
a  grandson. 

In  1861,  Vasseur  married  Miss  Elenore  Franchere  of 
Chicago,  who  now  survives.  This  remarkable  man  died 
in  1879,  at  his  home  in  Bourbonais  Grove,  in  the  eightieth 
year  of  his  age.  He  was  a  devout  adherent  to  the  tenets 
of  the  catholic  church,  and  lies  buried  in  the  church-yard, 
but  a  few  steps  from  where  he  made  his  home  in  1837. 

Mr.  le  Vasseur  was  a  man  of  strong  individuality.  Had 
he  been  an  educated  man,  he  would  have  been  an  explorer 
of  world-wide  renown.  His  love  of  adventure  was  a  born 
passion.  He  knew  no  fear,  had  unbounded  confidence  in 
himself,  and  overcame  all  obstacles.  His  success  with  the 
savage  men  by  whom  he  was  surrounded  lay  in  his  integ- 
rity and  simplicity.  He  joined  them  in  their  hunts  and 
took  part  in  their  sports.  He  was  a  second  William  Penn, 
but  greater  than  Penn. 

The  friendship  of  Hubbard  and  Vasseur  was  knit  to- 
gether by  the  hardships  they  had  endured,  and  was  as 
lasting  as  that  of  Jonathan  and  David,  They  died,  carrying 
to  their  graves  the  stories  of  many  adventures  and  historical 
facts,  which  are  now  forever  sealed  to  us.  The  true  lives 
of  these  men  in  Mackinac  and  in  Illinois  will  read  to  our 
children  more  like  a  romance-than  a  reality.  It  is  due  to 
history,  it  is  due  to  these  pioneer  lives,  that  a  complete 
biography  of  Gurdon  S.  Hubbard  and  Noel  le  Vasseur 
shall  be  written.  The  writer  has  only  touched  upon  a  few 
points  in  the  remarkable  career  of  the  latter. 


LISTS  OF    EARLY  ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 
By  Edward  G.  Mason  of  Chicago. 


SOME  thirty  years  ago,  or  about  the  year  1858,  VVm. 
H.  H.  Terrell,  afterward  the  secretary  of  the  Histor- 
ical Society  of  Indiana,  purchased  at  Vincennes  in  that 
State,  fifteen  manuscripts  relating  to  the  early  history  of 
what  is  now  the  State  of  Illinois.  From  him  these  papers 
were  acquired  in  1883  by  the  Chicago  Historical  Society, 
and  they  proved  upon  examination  to  be  of  decided 
interest  and  value.  They  comprise  four  lists  of  heads  of 
families  in  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia,  Prairie  du  Pont,  TVairie 
<'•'  Rocher,  and  St.  Philip  in  the  Illinois  country  in  or 
ire  the  year  1783;  three  general  returns  or  rolls  of  the 
uiiiitia  in  the  counties  of  Randolph  and  St.  Clair  in  Illinois 
Territory  on  August  i,  1790,  a  list  of  the  names  of  the 
persons  returned  as  entitled  to  the  donation  of  100  acres 
of  land  for  militia  service  in  the  counties  of  Randolph 
and  St.  Clair;  five  rolls  of  militia  companies  at  Kaskaskia 
and  in  the  county  of  St.  Clair  in  the  year  1790;  a  petition 
of  certain  citizens  of  Vincennes,  formerly  of  Kaskaskia, 
concerning  donation  lands,  dated  October  26,  1797;  and 
an  original  proclamation  with  a  duplicate  in  French,  relat- 
ing to  public  lands,  dated  at  Kaskaskia,  June  15,  I779. 
issued  and  signed  by  Col.  John  Todd,  jr.,  civil  governor 
and  commandant  of  the  county  of  Illinois,  commonwealth 
of  Virginia. 

These  documents  are  important  as  showing  the  names 
of  many  of  those  residing  in  Illinois  at  the  close  of  the 
war  of  the  Revolution,  the  probable  white  population  of 
that  region  in  the  last  decade  of  the  last  century,  and  the 

55 


^i^^^ 


i 


mmmtmiittk* 


56 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


beginnings  of  republican  government  there.  "They  have 
another  attraction  in  that  they  bear  the  autograph  signa- 
tures of  some  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  citizens 
of  Illinois,  of  John  Todd,  jr.,  its  first  governor  under  the 
authority  of  Virginia,  and  of  the  first  governor  of  the 
Northwest  Territory,  Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  in  whose  chi- 
rography  one  at  least  of  these  papers  is  written. 

These  lists  of  heads  of  families  and  militiamen  were 
prepared  in  order  to  secure  the  benefit  of  certain  legisla- 
tion originating  with  the  Continental  congress  under  the 
Articles  of  Confederation.  That  body  transacted  but. 
little  business  in  the  last  year  of  its  feeble  existence,  but 
among  its  few  acts  during  that  period  we  find  some 
relating  to  what  is  now  Illinois.  The  year  after  its  adop- 
tion of  the  great  Ordinance  of  1787,  this  congress  had 
before  it  a  memorial  of  one  George  Morgan,  and  his 
associates  "respecting  a  tract  of  land  iri  the  Illinois 
country  on  the  Mississippi."  And  on  June  20,  1788,  the 
committee  to  whom  this  matter  had  been  referred  reported^ 
among  otl  ar  things,  resolutions  that  "separate  tracts  shall 
be  reserved  for  satisfying  the  claims  of  the  ancient  settlers  "^ 
in  the  Illinois  country,  that  "measures  shall  be  immediately 
taken  for  confirming  in  their  possessio»is  and  titles,  the 
French  and  Canadian  inhabitants  and  other  settlers  on 
these  lands,  who  on  or  before  the  year  1783,  had  professed 
themselves  citizens  of  the  United  States  or  any  of  them"; 
and  that  three  additional  reserved  tracts  shall  be  laid  off 
"adjoining  the  several  villages,  Kaskaskies,  La  Prairie  du 
Rochers  and  Kahokia,"  *  *  *  "of  such  extent  as  shall 
contain  400  acres  for  each  of  the  families  now  living  at 
either  of  the  villages  of  Kaskaskies,  La  Prairie  du  Roch- 
ers, Kahokia,  Fort  Chartres,  or  St.  Philips.  The  additional 
reserved  tract  adjoining  the  village  of  the  Kaskaskies  shall 
be  for  the  heads  of  families  in  that  village;  the  tract 
adjoining  La  Prairie  du  Rochers  for  the  heads  of  families 


pmttr;;^^|VCBaBK.s^| 


EARLY   ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 


57 


hey  have 
iph  signa- 
y  citizens 
ander  the 
)r  of  the 
rhose  chi- 

nen  were 
n  legisla- 
mder  the 
cted  but 
tence,  but 
ind  some 

its  adop- 
gress  had 

and  hi& 
le   Illinois 

1788,  the 
i  reported^ 
racts  shall 
t  settlers  "^ 
imediately 
titles,  the 
lettlers  on 
i  professed 
of  them"; 
be  laid  off 
Prairie  du 
nt  as  shall 
'  living  at 
du  Roch- 
additional 
iskies  shall 

the  tract 
Df  families 


in  that  village;  and  the  tract  adjoining  Kahokia  for  the 
heads  of  families  in  that  village,  as  also  for  those  at  Ft 
Chartres  and  St.  Philips"  and  "that  the  governor  of  the 
western  territory  be  instructed  to  repair  to  the  French 
settlements  on  the  Mississippi,  at  and  above  the  Kaskas- 
kies;  that  he  examine  the  titles  and  possessions  of  the 
settlers  *  *  and  that  he  take  an  account  of  the  several 
heads  of  families  living  within  the  reserved  limits."  *  * 
And  congress  resolved  to  agree  to  this  report.* 

On  August  28,  1788,  the  Continental  congress  again 
considered  the  Morgan  memorial  and  resolved  to  change 
the  location  of  the  three  additional  tracts  of  land  to  the 
east  side  of  a  certain  ridge  of  rocks  instead  of  the  west 
side  as  provided  in  the  act  of  June  20, j*  and  on  August 
29,  it  was  resolved  that  measures  be  taken  for  confirming 
in  their  possessions  and  tides  the  French  and  Canadian 
inhabitants  and  other  settlers  at  Post  St.  Vincents  who 
on  or  before  the  year  1783,  had  settled  there  and  professed 
themselves  citizens  of  the  United  States  or  any  of  them ; 
that  400  acres  of  land  be  reserved  and  given  to  every  head 
of  a  family  of  the  above  description,  settled  at  Post  St. 
Vincents;  and  that  the  governor  of  the  western  territory 
cause  to  be  laid  out  a  tract  of  land,  adjoining  Post  St. 
Vincents,  sufficient  for  completing  the  above  donations. 
And  the  governor  was  instructed  in  the  same  resolution  to 
proceed  without  delay  to  the  French  settlements  on  the 
Mississippi  in  order  to  give  dispatch  to  the  several  measures 
to  be  taken  according  to  the  acts  of  June  20  and  August 

28,  1788,  to  report  the  whole  of  his  proceedings  to  con- 
gress, and  to  take  Post  St.  Vincents  on  his  return  and  pur- 
sue the  measures  directed  to  be  taken  by  the  act  of  Aug. 

29,  and  report  his  proceedings  accordingly. |  These  were 
among  the  latest  proceedings  of  the  congress  of  the  con- 

*  Journals  of  Congress  (of  the  Confederation),  XIII.  30-32. 
+  lb,  p.  90.  t  lb.  pp.  91,  92. 


mz: 


mk. 


^m^.,::^^ 


!. 


58 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


il 


federation  which  transacted  its  final  piece  of  business 
October  lO,  1788,  and  expired  November  i,  of  that  year 
for  the  want  of  a  quorum  *  Arthur  St.  Clair,  governor  of 
the  Northwest  Territory  pursuant  to  the  last -mentioned 
resolution,  and  also  in  obedience  to  the  instructions  of 
President  Washington  of  October  6,  i/SQ.-f-  set  out  for 
Kaskaskia,  and  arrived  there  March  5,  1790. J  On  March 
7,  he  issued  a  proclamation  calling  on  the  inhabitants  to 
prove  claims  as  provided  for  in  the  act  of  congress  of 
June  20,  1788,  and  he  directed  measures  to  be  taken  to 
confirm  the  titles  of  the  inhabitants  who  had  professed 
themselves  citizens  of  the  United  States,  and  to  lay  off 
the  tracts  of  land  to  furnish  the  400-acre  donations  pro- 
vided for  in  said  act.  On  April  5,  the  governor  visited 
Cahokia  for  the  same  purpose,  stopping  at  Fort  Chartres 
and  Prairie  du  Rocher  by  the  way,  and  appointed  militia 
and  other  officers,  and  embarked  at  Kaskaskia  on  his 
return  journey  on  June  1 1.§ 

It  appeared  from  his  report  and  that  of  Winthrop  Sar- 
gent, the  secretary  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  j|  that 
further  legislation  was  needed,  and  on  March  3,  1791, 
the  congress  of  the  United  States  passed  "an  act  for 
granting  lands  to  the  inhabitants  and  settlers  at  Vin- 
cennes  and  the  Illinois  country  in  the  territory  northwest 
of  the  Ohio,  and  for  confirming  them  in  their  possessions." 
This  provided  among  other  things,  that  400  acres  of  land 
should  be  given  to  each  of  those  persons  who  in  1783, 
were  heads  of  families  at  Vincennes  or  in  the  Illinois 
country  on  the  Mississippi,  and  who  had  since  removed 
from  one  of  said  places  to  the  other,  and  that  heads  of 

*  lb.  126-7.  t  "  St.  Clair  Papers,"  II.  125. 

t  Governor  St.  Clair's  Report  to  President  Washington  of  official  Proceed- 
ings in  the  Illinois  Country,  "St.  Clair  Papers,"  II.  164. 
§  lb.  pp.  165,  166,  169,  179. 
11  Ibid  and  "American  State  Papers.  Public  Lands,"  I.  5-16. 


.^V 


l»rw 


EARLY  ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


59 


icial  Proceed- 


families  at  either  of  said  places  in  1783,  who  afterward 
removed  without  the  limits  of  the  territory  were  notwith- 
standing entitled  to  the  donation  of  400  acres  of  land  pro- 
vided by  the  act  of  congress  of  August  29,  1788,  and 
also  to  the  lands  allotted  to  them  before  1783  according 
to  the  laws  and  usages  of  the  government  under  which 
they  had  settled.  This  act  also  gave  400  acres  of  land  to 
each  person  who  had  not  obtained  any  donation  of  land 
from  the  United  States,  and  who  on  August  7,  1790,  was 
enrolled  in  the  militia  at  Vincennes  or  in  the  Illinois 
country,  and  done  militia  duty.  And  it  once  more  changed 
the  location  of  the  three  additional  tracts  of  land  set 
aside  for  donations,  and  directed  them  to  be  laid  out  as  at 
first  provided  in  the  act  of  June  20,  1785.* 

It  was  to  obtain  the  gifts  of  400  acres  of  land  to  heads 
of  families,  and  of  100  acres  to  those  enrolled  in  the 
militia,  provided  for  by  one  or  more  of  these  various  acts, 
that  the  lists  before  us  were  compiled.  Governor  St.  Clair 
revisited  the  Illinois  country  in  the  fall  of  1795,  and,  as 
we  learn  from  two  of  these  militia  rolls,  he  was  at  Caho- 
kia,  September  28,  and  at  Kaskaskia,  October  4,  of  that 
year.  The  list  of  Capt.  James  Piggott's  company  at  the 
former  place,  and  of  Capt.  John  Edgar  and  Capt.  Fran9ois 
Janis'  companies  at  the  latter  place  were  sworn  to  before 
him  on  these  dates,  respectively.  In  his  report  of  official 
proceedings  in  the  Illinois  country  at  this  time,  made  to  the 
secretary  of  state  in  1796,  Gov.  St.  Clair  says — that  the 
donations  to  the  heads  of  families  were  not  yet  laid  out, 
although  ordered  in  1790,  owing  to  the  lack  of  a  surveyor, 
the  poverty  of  the  people  who  had  no  means  to  cultivate 
new  lands,  and  doubt  as  to  the  proper  party  to  issue  the 
patents.  But  as  to  the  donations  to  those  enrolled  in  the 
militia  he  had  no  difficulty,  and  had  ordered  these  to  be 
laid  out,  and  enclosed  a  list  of  the  persons  entitled.f     It 

*  "  U.-S.  Statutes  at  Large,"  I,  221.       t  "St. Clair  Papers,"  II,  398,  400. 


..■v^-.i^jE.'ia 


^^•SKSts^ifi  A»  »*•■ 


60 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


I 


is  probable  that  at  this  time  he  prepared  the  list  of  names 
of  the  persons  returned  as  entitled  to  the  donation  of  100 
acres  of  land  for  militia  services  in  the  counties  of  Ran- 
dolph and  St.  Clair,  among  the  documents  in  question, 
which  is  without  date  or  signature,  but  bears  an  endorse- 
ment stating  it  to  be  the  handwriting  of  Gov.  St.  Clair. 
All  of  these  documents  seem  to  be  originals,  doubtless 
once  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Northwest  Territory, 
and  then  scattered  abroad  by  accident  or  official  careless- 
ness. 

And  three  of  these  papers  are  in  the  handwriting  of 
John  Rice  Jones,  the  earliest  and  ablest  lawyer  in  the 
Northwest  Territory.  Those  which  he  wrote  are:  i.  "The 
List  of  the  Heads  of  Families  in  Kaskaskia  on  or  before 
the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  three  and 
who  professed  themselves  citizens  of  the  State  of  Virginia;" 

2.  "List  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  St. 
Philips  who  were  heads  of  families  therein  on  or  before 
the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  three;" 

3.  "General  Return  of  the  Militia  enrolled  In  the  (now) 
County  of  St.  Clair  on  the  first  day  of  August  one  thou- 
sand seven  hundrea  and  ninety."  Accompanying  these 
three  documents,  when  they  came  into  the  possession  of 
the  Chicago  Historical  Society,  was  a  memorandum  stat- 
ing them  to  be  in  the  handwriting  of  John  Rice  Jones,  and 
they  have  since  been  submitted  to  his  only  surviving  son, 
Hon.  George  W,  Jones,  formerly  United  -  States  senator 
from  Iowa,  now  residing  at  Dubuque  in  that  State,  who 
was  born  at  Vincennes,  Indiana,  April  12,  1804.  He  has 
indorsed  upon  each  of  the  lists  last  above  named,  a  state- 
ment subscribed  by  him.  that  it  is  the  handwriting  of  his 
deceased  father,  Hon.  John  Rice  Jones. 


.;   » 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


6l 


LIST^  of  the  Heads  of  Families  in  Kaskaskia  on  or 
before  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and 
eighty  three,  and  who  had  professed  themselves  Citizens 
of  the  State  of  Virginia: 

[For  convenience  in  reference  these  names  have  been  arranged  alphabetically.] 


Domitilde  Alary,  widow. 

^rjohn  Allison. 

Jean  Andre. 

Antoine  Antaya,  Senior. 

Antoine  Antaya,  Junior. 

Michel  Antaya. 

<7Antoine  Arkouet. 

*Mathais  Barker. 

Francois  Barrois. 

Blaize  Barutel. 

Joseph  Baugi. 

Antoine  Bauvais. 

rtjean  Bap.  St.  Gem  Bauvais. 

Marie  Louise  Bauvais,  widow. 

rtVital  Bauvais. 

Tean  Beaudoin, 


Alexis  Beauvais. 

Bellow. 

*Thomas  Bentley^ 
Antoine  Bienvenu,  Senior. 
Antoine  Bienvenu,  Junior. 
Daniel  Blouin.^ 
Shadrach  Bond.* 
rtjoseph  Bonvouloir. 
^Richard  Brashears. 
^Tobias  Brashears. 
]-,ouis  Brazot. 
izWilliam  Brocus. 
Anthoine  Buyat. 
Louis  Buyat. 
Benjamin  Joseph  Byram. 
rtfPierre  Cailloux. 


[a  "Removed  into  foreign  parts."]  [*  Americans.] 

[^  This  list  is  written  on  eight  pages  of  old,  laid  paper,  water-marked 
"J.  S,  O.  G. "  It  is  indorsed  "List  of  the  Heads  of  Families  in  Kaskaskia 
on  or  before  1783."  The  list,  note,  and  affidavit  are  all  in  the  same  hand- 
writing, which  is  stated  in  a  pencil  memorandum  to  be  that  of  John  Rice 
Jones.  And  this  document  now  bears  the  further  indorsement :  "  The  within 
lists  are  in  the  handwriting  of  my  deceased  father,  Hon.  John  Rice  Jones,  who 
died  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  on  the  1st  of  Feb'y,  1824,  he  being  at  that  time 
a  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  State  of  Missouri.  Dated  at  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  this  8th  day  of  Feb'y,  1889.     Geo.  W.  Jones."] 

[^  A  trader  at  Kaskaskia  who  incurred  the  enmity  of  Rocheblave,  and  was 
by  his  orders  arrested  and  sent  to  Canada,  whence  he  escaped.  A  voluminous 
correspondence  concerning  this  matter  preserved  in  the  "  Haldimand  Papers. "] 

[*  A  man  of  ability  and  much  influence  among  the  French  inhabitants  of 
the  Illinois.  As  their  representative,  he  petitioned  the  British  crown  for  a 
better  form  of  government.] 

[*  One  of  Clark's  soldiers  in  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois.] 


t     1 


^i 


r 


62 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


rrGeorge  Camp.^  Marie  Louise  Delisle,  widow, 

^rlchabod  Canip.^  *Timothe  Demumbrun.- 

Nicholas  Canada.  [neax.  rtPaul  Deruisseau. 

Louis  Pierre  Francois  Carbon-    ^ilsrael  Dodge. 


(jMartin  Carney. 
Antoine  Cassou. 
Catherine  Cassou,  widow. 
Charles  Charleville. 
Francois  Charleville. 
Joseph  Chauvin  Charleville. 
Louis  Charleville. 


rtjohn  Dodge.  ^ 
^Alexander  Douglas. 
Arcange  Doza,  widow. 
Joseph  Doza. 
Francois  Drouard. 
William  Drury. 
John  McEl  Duff.3 


<i;Marie  Louise  Charleville, widow  ^Charles  Dulude. 


Francois  Charpantier. 
Antoine  Chenier. 
Arcange  Chenier,  widow. 
*John  Clark. 
Lardner  Clark. 
Jacques  Conand. 
Francois  Corset. 
Jean  Baptiste  Creli. 
§Jerome  Creli. 
(ifPierre  Cure'. 
James  Curry.^ 
Jerome  Danis. 
Michel  Danis,  Senior. 
Michel  Danis. 
Charles  Dany. 
Charles  Delisle. 
Jean  Baptiste  Delisle. 
Louis  Delisle. 


Peter  Dumont. 

Catherine  Duplasi,  widow. 

Joseph  Dupuy. 

Andre  Fagot. 

*  Daniel  Flanary,  Junior. 

^Elijah  —  Flanary. 

*Thomas  Flanary. 

Marie  Rose  Fortin,  widow. 

Amable  Gagne. 

Joseph  Gagne. 

Marie Gagnon,  widow. 

John  Baptiste  Gandron. 
James  Garretson. 
Louis  Germin. 
Charles  Gill. 
Ambroise  Glinel. 
Thereze  Godin,  widow.* 


i  1 


Jacob  Grotz. 

[1  One  of  Clark's  soldiers  in  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois.] 

[=*  Successor  of  John  Todd,  Jun'r,  as  county  lieutenant  or  governor  of  Illi- 
nois under  Virginia.]  [§]  To  receive  Don[ation  at]  Vincennes. 

["  The  leader  of  the  party  of  hunters  met  at  Fort  Massac  by  George  Rogers 
Clark  on  his  way  to  the  Illinois,  and  who  gave  him  the  latest  news  from 
Kaskaskia.] 

[*  Mother  of  Fierre  Menard's  first  wife.  The  same  person  described  in  other 
lists  as  the  widow  Tourangeau,  the  latter  name  being  a  soubriquet  of  her 
deceased  husband,  Michel  Godin.] 


f\\ 


mmmmi.. 


<^-t^ 


,..„;w- 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


03 


e,  widow. 

*  Samuel  Handley. 

Catherine  Lasource,  widow. + 

■un.2 

"'John  Harry. 

Helen  Lasource,  widow. + 

*  David  Hicks. 

IJacque  Lasource. 

Alexander  Hilaire. 

Ambroise  Lavigne. 

*John  Holloway. 

Antoine  Lavigne. 

i. 

(?Thomas  Hughes.  ^ 

Claude  Lemieux. 

w. 

Jean  Baptiste  Janis. 

<?Nicholas  Levasseur. 

Nicholas  Janis.^ 

rtiStanislas  Levasseur. 

Guy  Jarrad. 

Joseph  Libberville. 

+ Jodouin,  widow. 

Joseph  Lonval. 

Patrick  Kennedy.^ 

Louis  Lonval. 

*James  Kincaid. 

<?Joseph  Maisonville. 

Elizabeth  Labiche. 

Joseph  Marrois. 

ividow. 

Raymond  Normand  Labriere. 

* Mayfield. 

(zNicholas  LaChance, 

Senior. 

*John  —  McCormick. 

nior. 


widow. 


•n,  widow, 
ron. 


)w.- 


ivernor  of  Illi- 
Vincennes. 
jeorge  Rogers 
;st  news  from 

:ribed  in  other 
brujuet  of  her 


Nicholas  LaChance,  Junior.        (?Alexander  McLosky, 
Marie  Louise  LaChapell,  widow.  Archibald  McNabb. 


Charles  LaChapelle. 
Pierre  LaCoste. 
Baptiste  Laderoute. 
rtjean  Baptiste  Laffont. 
Alexander  Lalande. 
Pierre  Langlois. 
Alexis  Laplante. 
Jean  Larue. 
+ Baptiste  Lasource. 


Jacques  Mercier. 

Joseph  Miault. 

Magdalen  Angelique  Miot,  widow. 

*John  Montgomery.^ 

Jean  Baptiste  Montreuil. 

James  Moore. ^ 

Joseph  Morejisi. 

dtAntoine  Morin. 

*James  Morris.  » 

[^  One  of  Clark's  soldiers  in  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois,] 
[^  Nicholas  Janis  was  appointed,  by  Col.  John  Todd,  Jr.,  captain  of  the  first 
company  of  the  militia  of  Kaskaskia,  May  14,  1779.] 

[^  Author  of  a  journal  of  an  expedition  in  the  year  1772  from  Kaskaskias 
village  in  the  Illinois  country  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Illinois  River.  It  is 
printed  as  an  appendix  to  the  third  edition  of  Imlay's  "  Topographical  Descrip- 
tion of  the  Western  Territory  of  North  America,"  published  in  London,  1797.] 

[+]  Error,  in  Prairie  du  Rocher  list. 

[X]  These  persons  supposed  by  Col.  [Winthrop]  S  [argent  ?]  to  have  died 
before  the  Country  came  into  the  possession  of  Virginia  or  the  U.  States  & 
that  their  widow's  names  are  inserted  on  the  opposite  page  [63]— a  cross 
against  their  names — they  can't  all  be  entitled. 


^MBI^i'J^B 


I  iiinfiVii 


64 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


J     ?'l 


*Daniel  Murray. 

/zElijah  Nelson. 

Gabriel  Obuchon,  Senior. 

Henry  O'Hara. 

James  Orr. 

David  Pagan.  ^ 

Etienne  Page. 

Joseph  Page. 

Jean  Baptiste  Perrin. 

Pierre  Picard. 

James  Piggot.^ 

*  Windsor  Pipps. 

*  Peter  Pressley. 
Pierre  Provot. 
Marie  Racine,  widow. 
Elizabeth  Raine,  widow. 
Paul  Reaume. 
Antoine  Renaud.- 
Charles  Renoue. 
Henry  Richard. 
Joseph  Richard. 
Pierre  Richard. 
tCharles  Robin. 

Mary  Rocheblave. 
Philip  Rocheblave.*^ 


Larkin  Rutherford.^ 

Catherine  Sanba. 

*Henry  Smith. 

Nicholas  Smith. 

Jean  Baptiste  St.  Onge. 

Francois  Derousse  St.  Pierre. 

Michael  Derousse  St.  Pierre. 

Jean  Baptiste  Taumur. 

Marie  Anne  Taumur. + 

Joseph  Tellier. 

Jacques  Thuillier, 

Jean  Baptiste  Tomur,  Sen'r. 

Francoise  Tonton.^ 

Joseph  Toulouse. 

* Trentham. 

*  Charles  Valle. 

rtiLouis  Villaret. 

James  Watts. 

*Heaton  [Haydon]  Wells. 

rt-James  Wiley. 

rtjohn  W'illiams. 

Richard  Winston's  Widow. 

Charles  Woods. 

*William  Wykoff. 

* ,  his  son  in  law. 


N.  B,  Those  marked  with  asterisks  thus  *  are  Ameri- 
cans and  the  whole  as  is  now  believed  now  residing  in 
the  United  States.  The  Heir  at  law  of  Charles  Valle  one 
so  marked  was  brought  up  at  Vincennes  and  now  is  and 
for  some  years  past  has  been  at  Dickenson  CoUedge  in 
Carlisle  in  the  State  of  Pennsilvania.     None  of  them  have 

[^  One  of  Clark's  soldiers  in  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois.] 
[-]  To  receive  l)on[atioij  at]  Vincennes. 

[*  The  last  British  governor  of  the  Illinois;  taken  prisoner  by  Clark.] 
[+]    This  is  the  same  situation  of  liapt.  iV  Jacque  Lasource,  there  is  a  + 
opposite  the  widow,  her  name  is  Marie  Ann  Taumur,  widow. 


\ 


TBSSrBCBWJ 


^  -•' 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


65 


claimed  their  Donation  Lands,  except  an  application  made 
on  Behalf  of  Mr.  Valle's  heir  at  law. 

Territory  of  the  United  States  north  west  of  the  Ohio, 
Randolph  County,  ss. 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  twenty- third  day  of 
September  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety  seven 
before  us  the  Subscribers  two  of  the  Justices  of  the  peace 
of  the  said  County  personally  came  Louis  Pierre  Francois 
Carbonneaux  Esquire  notary  public  at  Kaskaskia  in  the 
said  County  and  Jean  Baptiste  Gendron  of  the  same  who 
made  oath  according  to  Law  and  say  that  they  have  been 
Settlers  and  Inhabitants  of  the  village  of  Kaskaskia  afore- 
said for  upwards  of  thirty  years  last  past,  and  that  the 
persons  whose  names  are  contained  on  the  left  side  of  the 
foregoing  six  pages  were  Settlers  and  Heads  of  families 
in  Kaskaskia  aforesaid  on  or  before  the  said  year  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  three  and  had  pro- 
fessed themselves  Citizens  of  the  State  of  Virginia  And 
that  those  persons  whose  names  are  contained  on  the  right 
hand  side[*]  of  each  said  Page  have  since  removed  into  for- 
eign parts  and  have  not  by  themselves  or  Heirs  returned 
into  Kaskaskia  aforesaid  to  the  Knowledge  of  these  Depo- 
nents on  or  before  the  third  day  of  March  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  ninety  six. 

Sworn  the  Day  and  year  ) 
above  mentioned  Before  us  I  Carbonneaux 

JN.  Edgar 

Wm.  Morrison  The  mark  of 

X 

Jean  Baptiste  Gendron 

[*  In  the  foregoing  list  these  are  indicated  by  an  a.] 


66 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


LIST*  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  St. 
Philips  who  were  heads  of  families  therein  on  or 
before  the  year  one  thousand  sevtn  hundred  and  eighty 
three: 

Charles  Aime.  Pierre  Degagne. 

Pierre  Allard.  Louis  Levasseur  D'Espagne. 

Mary  Louise  Aubuchon,  widow.  Josette  Dilailite,  widow. 
Jean  Baptiste  Barbau,  Senior. t    Gabriel  Docochi. 
Jean  Baptiste  Barbau,  Junr.        Antoine  Domingue. 

Louis  Uore'. 

Clement  Drury. 

William  Drury. 

Jean  [Baptiste  erased]  Dumartin. 


Joseph  Bellecour. 
Joseph  Blay. 
Francois  Bousseau. 
Jacque  Bouteillet. 


Charles  Cadron,  called  St.  Pierre.  Jean  Flandre. 


Francois  Camus. 
Pierre  Chevalier. 
Margaret  Cochon,  widow. 
John  Cochran. 
Ayme  Comte,  Senior. 
Antoine  Cotinauet. 
Elizabeth  Cotinault,  widow. 
Joseph  Crely. 
Jean  Baptiste  Damour. 
Joseph  De^elle. 

Degagne,  widow. 
Jacque  Degagne. 
Jean  Baptiste  Degagne. 


Pierre  Gibault.:}: 

Girardot,  widow. 
Henry  Golding. 
Nathaniel  Hull. 
Jean  Baptiste  Jacquemin. 
William  Jean. 

Jodouin,  widow: 
Lawrence  Kenyon. 
Jean  L'Allemand. 
Marie  Labrosse,  widow. 
Charles  Laforme. 
Thereze  Lajoie,  widow. 


Gerard  Langlois. 

*  This  list  is  written  upon  three  pages  of  a  sheet  of  paper  similar  to  that 
of  the  last  mentioned  list,  and  is  wholly  in  the  handwriting  of  John  Rice 
Jones,  as  appears  from  the  certificate  of  his  son,  Hon.  Geo.  W.  Jones,  now 
appended  thereto.  It  is  indorsed  "List  of  heads  of  families  in  Prairie  du 
Rocher  and  St.  Phillip  on  or  before  1 783. " 

t  Appointed  commandant  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  captain  of  the  militia, 
May  17,  1779,  by  John  Todd;  and  later,  elected  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
court  of  Cahokia  by  the  people.  In  1790,  he  was  chief-justice  of  the  court 
for  the  judicial  district  of  Prairie  du  Rocher. 

*  Priest  at  Kaskaskia  from  1768  to  1783,  and  rendered  efficient  service  to 
George  Rogers  Clark. 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


67 


Pierre  Laroche. 
Jacques  Lasablonier. 
Louis  Lassonde. 
Joseph  Lavoie. 

Lemay. 
Antoine  Louvier,  Senior. 
Antoine  Louviere,  Junior. 
Pierre  Louviere. 

Marechal,  widow. 


Catherine  Perier,  widow. 
Charles  Renoux. 
Jean  Baptiste  Richard. 
Catherine  Ryan,  widow. 
Josiah  Ryan. 
Catherine  Tangue,  widow. 
Joseph  Tangue,  Senior. 
Joseph  Tangue'. 
Francois  Thibault. 


Territory  of  the  United  States  north  west  of  the  Ohio, 
Randolph  County,  ss. 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  twenty  fifth  Day  of 
September  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety  seven 
before  us  the  subscribers  two  of  the  Justices  of  the  peace 
of  the  said  County  personally  came  Jean  Baptiste  Barbau 
the  elder  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  Esquire  and  Jean  Baptiste 
Barbau  the  younger  of  the  same  Esquire  who  made  oath 
according  to  Law  that  the  several  persons  whose  names 
are  contained  on  the  two  sides  of  this  sheet  of  paper  were 
the  heads  of  families  in  Prairie  du  Rocher  and  St.  Philips 
aforesaid  on  or  before  the  year  one  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  eighty  three. 

Sworn  the  day  and  year  above  )  Barbau. 

mentioned— Before  us—        I  Barbau,  fils. 

Jn.  Edgar. 
Wm.  Morrison. 


List*  of  the  Heads  of  Families  in  Cahokia  and  its  envi- 
rons in   the  Illinois  Country  in  the  year  One  Thousand 
Seven  Hundred  and  Eighty  Three,  viz: 
Clement  Allary.  Jean  Bap:  Allary. 

*  This  list  was  written  on  a  sheet  of  laid  paper,  15  x  18  inches,  has  water- 
marked crown,  date,  1794,  and  the  letters  G.  R.  partly  cut  off.  It  is  endorsed 
"  Lists  of  Heads  of  Families  in  St.  Clair  County. " 


'h\ 


iiiilii^i^Hiiiiril 


7 


68 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Marie,  widow  of  Jos:  Allary. 
Laurent  Amelin. 
Joseph  Andrews. 

Ardouin. 

Gabriel  Barron. 
Jean  Bap:  Barron. 
Widow  Beaulieu. 
Joseph  Beguiere. 
Isabel  Bequet,  widow. 
Jean  Bap:  Bergeron. 
William  Biggs. 
Joseph  Bissonet. 
Widow  of  George  Blin. 
Jean  Bap:  Boisverd. 
Joseph  Boisverd. 
Rene  Bouvet. 
Antoine  Boyer. 
Thomas  Brady. 
Charle  Butteau,  Senr. 
Joseph  Butteau. 
Widow  Cabassier. 
Joseph  Cecire. 
Catherine  Chartran. 
Mary,  widow  Chartran. 
Louis  Chatel. 
Francois  Chevalier. 
Mary  Crow,  widow. 
Joseph  Deloge  alias  Poirier. 
Louis  De  Longchamps. 
Jean  D'Hay. 
Jean  Marie  Dorion. 
Jean  Bap:  DuEuque. 
Charle  Ducharme. 
Bartholomew  Dumas. 
Jean  Bap:  Dumay. 
Pierre  DurBois,  Senr. 
Joseph  Dutremble. 


Phillip  Engel. 

Raphael  Gagnie. 

Louis  Gagnion. 

Pierre  Gatien. 

Louis  Gaud. 

Charle  Germain. 

Francois  Geronie. 

Phillip  Gervais. 

Antoine  Girardin. 

Michel  Girardin. 

Pierre  Guittard. 

Antoine  Harmand. 

Joseph  La  Buxiere. 

Antoine  La  Course. 

Joseph  La  Couture. 

Charle  La  Croix. 

Pierre  La  Fleur. 

Michel  La  Gaudmiere. 

Michel  La  Grave. 

Joseph  Lambert. 

Joseph  La  Lancete. 

Catherine  Langlois,  widow. 

Jean  La  Penst^e. 

Joseph  La  Pen  see. 

Marianne  Le  Boeuf,  widow. 

Louis  Le  Brun. 

Louis  Le  Compte. 

Charle  Le  Fevre. 

Francois  Le  Fevre  alias  Courier, 

Senr. 
Jean  Marie  Le  Fevre. 
Mary  Louise  Le  May,  alias 

Theophile. 
Joseph  Le  Page  or  his  Heirs. 
Leon  Le  Page. 
Isaac  Levy. 
Rene  Locat. 


!U 


EARLY    ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 


69 


Francois  Longval,  Serir. 
Mary  Jeane  Loisie,  Widow. 
Pierre  Martin. 
Jean  Bap:  Mercier. 
Mary,  widow  Mercier. 
Mary  Moony,  widow. 
Jean  Bap:  Mulote. 
The'rese  Pancrasse. 
Joseph  Pelletier. 
Michel  Pelletier  alias  Antaya. 
Jean  Bap:  Perio. 
I;Ouis  Pilet. 
Paul  Poupard. 


Widow  Rassette. 
Pierre  Roy  alias  Cadien. 
Francois  Saucier. 
Jean  Bap:  Saucier. 
Mathieu  Saucier. 
Alexis  Tabeau. 
Francois  Trotier,  Senr. 
Louis  Trotier. 
Francois  Turgeon. 
Widow  Turgeon. 
Joseph  Vaudry. 
Widow  Wattape. 
Peter  Zippe. 


Personally  appeared  before  me,  William  St.  Clair,  duly 
authorized  by  His  Excellency  the  Governor  of  the  Terri- 
tory to  take  proof  of  those  persons  who  were  Heads  of 
Families  at  Cahokia  and  its  environs  in  the  Illinois  Country 
in  the  year  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Eighty 
Three,  Jean  Bap:  Du  Buque,  Jean  Bap:  Saucier,  Esquires, 
and  Charle  Ducharme,  ancient  Inhabitants  of  Cahokia, 
who  severally  made  Oath  that  the  persons  on  the  foregoing 
List  were  Heads  of  Families  in  the  Illinois  Country  in  the 
year  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Eighty  Three. 
In  Witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  Hand  at 
Cahokia,  this  Thirtieth  day  of  September,  1797. 

William  St.  Clair. 


il 


List*  of  the  Heads  of  Famileys  in  Cahokia  and. its  Envi- 
rons in  t    J  year  One  thousand  Seven  hundred  and  Eighty 

thiee: 

This  list  is  written  on  a  sheet  of  laid  paper,  13X.ISH  inches,  with  a 
water-marked  crown  ar  date,  1 794,  and  is  similar  to  the  paper  of  the  pre- 
ceding list,  but  of  a  dirterent  make;  is  in  another's  handwriting,  hurriedly 
written,  probably  before,  as  it  has  not  so  many  names  and  is  without  certifi- 
cate or  endorsement. — G.  u.  F. 


70 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Clement  Allary. 

Jean  lUpt.  Allary. 

Joseph  Allary. 

Lawrent  Amelin.  ^ 

Joseph  Andrews. 

Gabriel  Barron. 

Jean  Bte.  Barron. 

Widow  Beaulieu. 

Joseph  Beguiere. 

Isabel  Beqiiet,  Widow. 

Jean  Bte.  Bergeron. 

William  Biggs. 

Joseph  Bissonet. 

Widow  of  George  Blin. 

Joseph  BoisVerre. 

Rene  Bouvet. 

Ante.  Boyer. 

Thomas  Brady. 

Joseph  Buteau. 

Widow  Cabassier,  or  Heirs. 

Joseph  Cecire. 

CatheririC  Chartran,  Widow. 

Jean  Bapt.  Chartran  or  Heirs. 

Louis  Chattelle. 

Francois  Chevalier. 

Mary  Crow,  Widow. 

Jean  De  Hay. 

Joseph  Deloge. 

Louis  r  elongchamp. 

Jean  Marie  Dorion. 

Jean  Baptist  Dubuque. 

Charles  Ducharme. 

Bartholomew  Dumay. 

Jean  Bapt.  Dumay. 

Piere  Durebois,  Senr. 

Joseph  Dutremble. 

Phillip  Engel. 


Louis  Gagnion. 
Raphael  Gagnion. 
Piere  Gatien. 
Louis  Gaud. 
Charles  Germain. 
Fancois  Gerome. 
Phillip  Gervais. 
Antoine  Girardin. 

Ardoin  [the  Heirs  of.  erased]. 
Michel  Girardin. 
Pierre  Guittar. 
Ante.  Harmand. 
Joseph  Labuxier. 
Antoine  Lacourse. 
Joseph  Lacouture. 
Charles  Lacroix. 
Piere  Lafleur. 
Michel  LaGaudiniere. 
Antoine  La  Marche. 
Joseph  Lambert. 
Joseph  La  lancet. 
CatI  ?rine  Langlois,  Widow. 
Jean  Lapence. 
Joseph  Lapence. 
Marianne  Le  beuf,  Widow. 
Louis  Lebrun. 
Louis  LeCompte. 
Jean  Bapte,  Le  Croix. 
Charles  Lefevre. 
Fraiicois  Lefevre  alias  Courier. 
Jean  Marie  Lefevre. 
Michel  Le  Grave. 
Marie  Louise  Lemay  dit  The- 

ophile. 
Leon  Le  page. 
Isaac  Levi. 
Renne  Locat. 


V  ' 

H.  i 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


71 


Marie  Jean  Loize. 

Francois  Longvall,  senr. 

Joseph  L'page  or  his  heirs. 

Piere  ^.lartin. 

Jean  Bapte.  Mercier. 

Mary  Moony,  Widow. 

Jean  Bapte.  Mullote. 

Therese  pancrass,  Widow. 

Joseph  Peletier. 

Michel  Peletier  alias  Antaya. 

Jean  Bapt.  Perio. 

Louis  Pilet. 

Paul  Poupard. 


Widow  Rassett. 
Piere  Roy  alias  Cadien. 
Francois  Saucier. 
Jean  Bapt.  Saucier. 
Matthew  Saucier. 
Alexis  Tabeaux. 
Francois  Trotier,  Senr. 
Louis  Trotier. 
Francois  Turgeon. 
VV^idow  Turgeon. 
Joseph  Vaudi-y. 
Widow  Watspp. 
Peter  Zippe. 


? 


List*  of  the  Heads  of  Families  at  Cahokia,  Prairie 
dupont,  and  the  Americane  Setlements  of  the  present 
County  of  St.  Clair  and  who  were  heads  of  Families  in  the 
year  1783 — viz: 

Clement  Allari.    *  Widow  Beaulieu.t 

Jean  Baptiste  Allari.  Heirs  of  Belew. 

Widow  of  Joseph  Allari.  Heirs  of  Jean  Bapt.  Bequet. 

Lawrent  Amelin.  Jean  Baptist  Bergeron. 

Felicite'  Antalliard,  Widow  of  J.  William  Biggs. 

Bt.  Dumas.  Joseph  Biguiere. 

Heirs,  of  Ardoin.  Heirs  of  Joseph  Bissonet. 
Widow  of  Gabriel  Barron  [erased].  Widow  of  George  Blain. 

Jean  Bapt.  Barron.  Jean  Baptist  BoisVene. 

*  This  list  is  written  on  all  four  pages  of  a  large  sheet  of  old  paper,  water- 
marked with  the  crown  and  "G.  R.  1794."  It  is  endorsed  "Lists  of  Heads 
of  Tamilies  in  1 783. " 

t  The  Widow  Beaulieu  was  the  daughter  of  a  French  officer  once  stationed 
at  Fort  Chartres,  named  Chouvin,  who  settled  in  the  village  of  St.  Phillippe. 
Here  his  daughter  was  born  in  1742.  She  was  educated  at  Quebec,  and 
returned  to  Cahokia,  to  which  place  her  father  had  removed,  where  she  mar- 
ried M.  IJeaulieu.  She  lived  a  !ong  and  useful  life,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four  in  Cahokia. 


^2 


EARLY    ILLINOIS. 


\ 


i    ' 


Joseph  BoisVene. 
Shadrach  Bond. 
Shadrach  Bond  [erased]. 
Renne  Bouvet. 

The  Heirs  of  Antoine  Boyer. 
Thomas  Brady. 
Joseph  Butoe,  Junr. 
Heirs  of  Joseph  Cabassitr. 
Charles  Cadron  aUas  St.  Piere. 
Joseph  Cecire. 
Louis  Belong  Champ. 
Heirs  of  Michel  Charli. 
Widow  Chartran, 
Heirs  of  the  Widow  of  Jean 
Bapt.  Chartran. 


Francois  Gerome  alias  Lafleur  de 

Pois. 
Phillip  Gervais. 
Antoine  Girardin. 
Heirs  of  Michel  Girardin. 
Heirs  of  Jacob  Groots, 
Antoine  Harmand  alias  Sanfacon. 
Joseph  Labuxiere. 
Antoine  Lacourse. 
Joseph  LaCouture. 
Charles  Lacroix  alias  Hagon. 
Jean  Baptiste  La  croix. 
Michel  La  Gaudiniere. 
Michel  La  Grave. 
Joseph  La  lancet. 
Antoine  Lamarche. 


Louis  Chatel. 

Claude  Chenier,*  proved  by  the  Joseph  Lambert. 

oaths  of  Brady  and  Pierre  la  Widow  Lapage. 

pope  to  have  been  living  in  Jean  Lapence. 

1783   and   had   a  numerous  The  Heirs  of  Joseph  Lapence. 

family,  tho'  omitted  in  this  list.  Widow  of  Phillip  Leboeuf. 
Widow  Crow.  Louis  Le  brun. 

Jean  De  May.  Louis  LeComte. 

Jean  Mari  Dorion.  Charles  Lefevre. 

Jean  Baptist  Dubuque.  Franois    Lefevre  alias  Courier. 

(Charles  Ducharme.  Widow  of  Louis  LeMay  alias 

Bartholemew  Dumas  or  his  heir.  Theophile.  .  ^ 

Heirs  of  Joseph  Dutremble.         Leon  Lepage. 


Phillip  Engel. 

Raphael  Gagnie. 

Heirs  of  Louis  Gagnion. 

James  Garetson  or  his  heirs. 

Giroux. 
Louis  Gaud. 
Charles  Germain. 


Heirs  of  Isaac  Levi. 
Heirs  of  Renne  Locat. 
PVancois  Longval,  Senr. 
Piere  Martin. 
Jean  Baptist  Mercier. 
Widow  of  James  Mooney. 
Widow  of  James  Moore. 


*  This  memorandum  upon  the  original  list  is  followed  by  this  unsigned 
statement:  "This  memorandum  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Governor  .St. Clair. '» 


1/ 


EARLY   LLLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


n 


ligned 
air. '» 


Jean  Baptist  Mulote. 
Heirs  of  Widow  Pancrass, 

maiden  name  [Pa — r.  blotted]. 
Joseph  Peletier. 
Michel  Pettier  alias  Antaya. 
James  Piggot. 
Louis  Pillet. 

Joseph  Poirie  alias  Desloges. 
Joseph  Poupard  alias  Dormeur. 
Paul  Poupard  alias  Lafleur. 
Therese  Poupard  Widow  Lang- 
Elisabeth  Raine.  [lois. 


Widow  of  August  Rasset. 

Heirs  of  Piere  Roy  alias  Cadien. 

Francois  Saucier. 

Jean  Baptist  Saucier. 

Mathew  Saucier. 

Nickolas  Smith  or  his  heirs. 

The  Heirs  of  Alexis  Tabeaux. 

Heirs  of  Francois  Trotier. 

Louis  Trotier. 

Widow  Nickolas  Turgeon. 

Joseph  Vaudiere. 

Peter  Zippe. 


St.  Clair  County,  ss. 

Personaly  p^jpeared  before  me,  Jean  Bapt.  Dubuque  and 
Charles  Ducharme,  Ancient  Inhabitats  of  the  Village  of 
Cahokia,  who  being  duly  sworn  do  declare  ihat  the  within 
List  to  the  best  of  their  Knowledge  is  Just  and  True  and 
the  erasures  made  at  their  Desire,  in  Testimony  whereof  I 
have  to  this  set  my  hand  Seal  this  25th  Apl,  1796. 

Ch.  Ducharme.  William  St.  Clair. 

J.  B.  Dubuque. 

St.  Clair  County,  ss. 

Personaly  appeared  before  me,  Jean  Bapt.  Saucier,. 
Mathew  Saucier,  Jean  Bapt.  AUary,  and  Charles  Germain, 
ancient  Inhabitants  of  the  Village  of  'rairie  du  pont  in 
the  County  of  St.  Clair,  who  being  duly  Sworn  did  declare 
that  the  within  list  is  Just  and  true  to  the  best  of  their 
Knowledge,  in  Testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my 
hand  and  Seal  at  Cahokia,  this  25th  Apl.,  1796. 
Mth.  Saucier.    J.  B.  Saucier.    William  St.  Clair. 

I  do  hereby  Certify  to  have  examined  the  within  list 
and  find  it  just  to  the  best  of  my  Knowledge  and  Remem- 
brance— in  Witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
at  Cahokia,  this  2Sthday  of  apl,  1796. 

A.   GiRARDIN. 


JL 


74 


KAKLY   ILLINOIS. 


I 


Chef  de  families. 


Listc*  Des  habitans  Resident  aux  Kaskaskias  en  1790- 

Savoir: 

Pr.  Compagni. 

John  Edgar,t  Capt'n.  ) 
Toimetre  antaya.         I 
1  Antoine  LaChapelle,|  Gar^on,  Ensign. 
J.ouis  Jeimain,  Chef  de  fam. 
Nicola  Canada,§     idem. 
Michel  St.  Pierre,  idem. 
Mad.  V  ve.  Eachapelle,  idem. 

J  Eachapelle  Bazille.      \ 

3,  Baptiste  Lachapelle.    J-  Garcj'ons. 

4  Jn  I-achapelle.  ) 

John  Cok,  Chef  de  famiUe. 

5  Cook,  fils,  [erased].     \ 

6  Henry  Bienvenu.         ^  Gar^on. 

7  Michel  Bienvenu.       ,' 

Ktienne  Page,  Chef  de  famille  a  militaire. 
Baptiste  alary,  idem. 

*  This  list  is  written  on  a  sheet  of  narrow,  dark-colored  paper,  and  en- 
dorsed "List  of  the  two  Companies  of  Militia  at  Kaskaskia  the  first  of  Augt., 
1790. 

t  John  Kdi^ar  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  once  a  British  naval  officer. 
At  the  he^innini;  of  tlie  Revolutionary  war  he  resided  at  Detroit,  and  was 
sent  a  prisoner  to  (Quebec  on  account  of  his  sympathy  with  the  colonial  cause, 
which  his  American  wife  encourai^ed.  Making  his  escape  by  the  way,  he 
joined  the  troops  of  the  colonies,  and  in  1 7S4  settled  at  Kaskaskia.  He  was 
for  many  years  the  wealthiest  citizen  of  Illinois,  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
legislature  of  the  Northwest  I'erritory,  and  one  of  the  judges  of  the  St.  Clair 
circuit  court,  and  held  other  offices.     The  county  of  Edgar  is  named  for  him. 

*  Antoine  LaChapelle  died  in  1S04,  at  Natchez,  on  his  way  from  New 
Orleans  in  charge  of  a  consignment  to  William  Morrison.  He  was  a  son  of 
r>asil  l.aChapelle,  who,  with  his  eleven  brothers,  removed  from  Canada  to 
Kaskaskia. 

<i  Nicholas  Canada  was  an  uncle  of  Pierre  Menard's  first  wife,  and  one  of 
the  witnesses  at  their  marriage,  on  behalf  of  the  bride. 


I 
I 


Chef  de  famille. 


EARLY  ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 

8  Bazil  Alary. 

9  Jerom  St.  Pierre. 
lo  Philipe  St.  Pierre. 
I  r  Alexi  Doza. 

12  Fransois  Lemieux. 

13  Louis  Lemieux,  I    G^'"90"- 

14  Louis  Jermain,  fils,  [erased]. 

15  Novel  Toulouse. 

16  Pierre  Toulouse. 

17  Jn.  Longvalle. 
Antoin  Provant. 
Labrierre. 
John  Rise  Jons.* 
Bienvenu  Perre.  \ 
Provau  Perre.      V  Chef  de  famille. 
Louis  Louvalle.    I 
P.  Janis,  [erased].— Transporte  en  L'autre  Part. 

Suite  De  l'autre  Part. 
Blaise  Barutel. 
Glaud  Lemieux. 
aLexi  Beauvais. 
fs.  Derouse,  Dit  St.  Pierre, 
fs.  Tibeaux. 
Pierre  Richard.  J 

18  Anbroise  Delinel.  \ 

19  ft-  Carbonnaux.       [  Gar^on. 

20  Aantoine  Lavigne.  J 

2me.  Compagni.  Savoir: 

2  1  Fr.  Janisse,t  Capt'n  Des  millise,  garden. 
Bpte.  Lachanse,!  lieutenant,  Per  de  famille. 

*  Properly  John  Rice  Jones,  the  famous  lawyer  above  mentioned,  who 
removed  from  Vincennes  to  Kaskaskia  in  1790,  and  is  borne  on  the  militia 
rolls  of  both  places  in  that  year. 

t  Fran9ois  Janis,  one  of  the  witnesses  at  Pierre  Menard's  first  marriage, 
on  his  behalf. 

t  One  of  the  witnesses  at  the  above  marriage,  on  behalf  of  the  bride. 


75 


1  \ 


I 

•I, 


Chef  de  famille. 


76 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


-  Per  de  famille. 


Tous  Garcon. 


2  2  Jac  Gautiaux,  Enseigne,  Garcon. 

Baptiste  MontureuUe. 
Jemi  Cord 
Antoin  Bienvenu,  fils. 
Michel  Danis. 
Jerome  Danis. 

23  Jn.  Danis. 

24  Andre  Sonn. 

25  Philipe  RocheBlave.* 

26  Antoine  Bahatte,  neveux. 

27  Baptiste  Gendron,  fils. 

28  Jn.  Quiquette. 

29  Jerome  Tibeaux. 

Antoine  Bayatte. 
Jac  Devaignais. 
Jac  Moraniy. 
Michel  Antaya. 
Louis  Laderoute. 
Baptiste    Laderoute. 
Bte.  Tomure. 
Bte.  Gendron  Perre. 

Transporte  cy  Contre. 


Chef  de  famille. 


Chef  de  famille. 


Suite  De  Cy  Contre. 
Bhertelmi  Richard. 
Paul  Nehaume. 
Baptiste  Degonier. 
Made.  we.  Tourangaux.  t 
Charl  Danis.  t 


i"  Chef  de  famille. 


*  Philipe  Rocheblave  was  the  name  of  the  last  governor  of  the  Illinois  for 
Great  Britain,  and  if  this  be  the  same  man  he  must  have  returned  to  Kaskas- 
kia  after  the  Revolutionary  war. 

t  Madame  Tourangeau,  the  widow  of  Michel  Godin,  was  the  mother  of 
Pierre  Menard's  first  wife,  and  at  her  house  in  Kaskaskia  their  marriage 
contract  was  signed, 

t  Charles  Danis,  an  uncle  of  Pierre  Menard's  first  wife,  and  one  of  the 
witnesses  at  their  marriage  in  her  behalf.     Doubtless  a  descendant  of  the 


31 

3| 

3 

3 

3 

3 


3t 
3: 


i 


EARLY  ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 

30  Vitol  Ste.  Gemme  Bauvais.* 

31  Gabriel  Aubuchon.  ) 

32  Jn.  Calais,  rezidant  Sure  L'autre  rive,     f^^^^on. 

33  Pierre  Menard. t  j 

34  James  McNabb. 

35  Alexr.  McNabb. 
Alaint.  Chef  de  famil. 
Pierre  Cristopher,  Garcon,  [erased]. 

36  Jacque  Laderoute,    Idem. 

37  Pier  le  basque,  garcon. 

Liste  Des  Personne  Etable  Depuis  i/QO.-Savoir; 

Jonatame  Hauslay. 

Marque  Navelle. 

Antoine  Navelle.  \ 

Pierre  Beguain.     i  Garcon 

Etienne  Parard.     J 

fs.  Charleville 

Jams  Dunn. 

Mark  Tomas. 

VVlliam  Morisonne.:{: 

Jac  Lasabloniare. 

Jan  Gomer. 

Jan  Bte.  Normand. 

fs.  St.  Pierre,  Chef  de  famille 


77 


} 


Chef  de  famil. 


Chef  de  famille. 


Chef  de  famille. 


Mario,^r722  '°  ""^""^ ''''  fi^^t-recorded  land-grant  at  Kaskaskia  was  made. 

Otme,  called  Beauva.s,  from  his  native  place  in  France,  who  settled  at  Kas- 
kaskia about  I7SO.  He  bought  the  property  of  the  Jesuits  there  on  its  sale 
under  the  decree  for  the  suppression  of  that  order,  and  became  the  wealthiest 
citizen  of  his  time  in  Kaskaskia.  Vitol  Ste.  Geme  Beauvais  was  one  of  the 
judges  of  the  court  of  Kaskaskia.  elected  by  the  people,  under  the  governor- 
snip  of  Col.  John  Todd,  Jr.,  and  afterward  resided  at  Ste.  Genevieve,  Mo. 

t  Afterward  the  first  lieutenant-governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 

:  William  Morrison  emigrated  from  Philadelphia  to  Kaskaskia  about 
1790,  and  became  a  leading  merchant  there.  He  died  and  was  buried  in 
tlie  old  graveyard  at  Kaskaskia  in  1837. 


h 


78 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Michel  Lasassese. 

38  Joseph  Page,  Garson. 

39  Francois  Janis. 

Before  me,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Governor  of  the  Territory 
of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio,  personally 
appeared  Francois  Janis,  Captain  of  a  Company  in  the 
Militia  of  Kaskaskia  and  being  duly  sworn  deposeth  and 
saycth  that  the  Persons  whose  names  are  inserted  in  the 
foregoing  list,  and  opposite  to  which  the  word  (Garson)  is 
written,  were  all  borne  on  the  Militia  Rolls  of  the  said 
Village,  on  the  first  day  of  August,  1790.  In  Witness 
whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  at  Kaskaskia,  the 
4th  day  of  October,  1795.  Ar.  St.  Clair. 


A  list*  of  Capt.  Piggot's  Companey  in  the  first  regiment 
of  militia  of  the  county  of  St.  Clair,  the  26  Day  of  April, 
1790: 


2  George  Atchison,  Leut. 
21  George  Biggs. 
5  Shadrik  Bond,^  Sergt. 
Thomas  Bradly  [erased.] 
51  James  brian — left  the  Coun- 
try. 


43  Isaac  brison — left  the  Coun- 
try about  a  year  afterwards. 
19  Peter  Casterlin. 
31  William  Chaffin. 
42  Elexander  Denrs.^ 
28  Clement  Drury. 


*  This  list  is  written  upon  a  sheet  of  old  foolscap  paper,  water-marked  with 
the  word  ROMAN  I  upon  one  page  and  on  the  other  with  the  letters  T.  R. 
It  is  endorsed  "A  list  of  those  persons  enrolled  in  the  Militia  in  the  Company 
of  Captn.  Piggott,  in  St,  Clair  County,  on  the  first  of  Augt.,  1790,"  and  in 
another  handwriting,  "Certified  by  Gov,  St, Clair."  Below  is  written,  appar- 
ently by  Capt.  Piggot,  "List  of  Piggot's  Company  for  the  year  1790." 

*  Shadrach  Bond,  Senior,  one  of  Clark's  soldiers,  came  to  the  Illinois  in 
1781,  was  a  member  of  territorial  legislatures,  judge  of  court  of  common  pleas 
of- St.  Clair  County,  and  uncle  of  Shadrach  Bond,  first  governor  of  the  State 
of  Illinois. 

»  Killed  by  the  I'ottawatomie  Indians,  returning  from  Cahokia  to  Chicago 
in  1802,  near  present  town  of  EdwardsvlUe,  111. 


EARLY   ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 


79 


29  Ralph  Drury. 
10  Isaac  Enix.i 
53  James  Garison. 
46  Charles  Gill.2 
37  David  Guice. 

James  Hard  [erased]. 

14  Leonard  Harness. 

17  James  Henderson. 

15  George  Hendricks. 
49  Michael  Huff.^ 

3  Nathaniel  Hull,**  Ensn. 
48  John — Jack. 

William  Jones  [erased]. 
34  Lawrence  Kenon. 

Larkin  [erased]. 

18  James  Lemmon.^ 
44  George  Lunceford.^ 


Thomas  Marr  [erased]. 

7  John  Mordock.7 
20  John  Moore. 

8  Samuel  Morris. 

24  William  Murry.'' 

4  Benjamin  Ogle,  Sergnt. 

11  Joseph  Ogle — Senior.^ 

12  Do. Junior. 

25  Henerey  oharo. 

26  John  oharro. 

I  James  Piggot,^  Captn. 
22  William  Piggot. 
45  John  Porter. 
40  George  Powers. 
36  Daniel  Raper.^ 
16  Benjaman  Rogers. 
Jesse  Ronn  [erased]. 


^  Probably  Isaac  Enochs,  a  Kentuckian,  celebrated  for  his  contests  with 
the  Indians,  and  as  the  first  convert  in  Illinois  to  the  Baptist  persuasion. 

^  One  of  Hull's  party  as  above. 

8  Killed  by  Indians  in  1794,  on  the  road  between  Prairie  du  Rocher  and 
Kaskaskia.     Step-father  of  Maj,  John  Moredock  or  Murdoch. 

*  Nathaniel  Hull  was  bom  in  Massachusetts,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
Americans  in  the  Illinois.  He  was  a  noted  leader  in  Indian  warfare,  and  in 
1 793  commanded  a  party  of  eight  whites  who  defeated  twice  their  number  of 
red  men  in  a  desperate  conflict  at  the  Big  Spring,  in  what  is  now  Monroe  Co. 

^  James  Lemen,  a  Virginian,  soldier  of  the  Revolution,  one  of  Hull's  party 
at  Big  Spring,  and  a  leading  Baptist  preacher.  "  One  of  Clark's  soldiers. 

'  John  Mordoch  or  Murdoch,  a  famous  Indian  fighter,  who  swore  unend- 
ing vengeance  on  the  red  men  because  of  his  mother's  death  at  their  hands. 

*  Joseph  Ogle  was  one  of  Nathaniel  Hull's  party  in  the  Indian  fight  at 
Big  Spring  in  1791. 

"  James  Piggot  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  early  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution  engaged  in  privateering.  Later  he  removed  to  Pennsylvania,  and 
commanded  a  company  of  troops  from  that  State  at  the  battles  of  Brandywine 
»nd  Saratoga.  He  followed  Clark  to  the  West,  and  was  for  a  time  in  com- 
mand of  Fort  Jefferson  on  the  Mississippi,  a  few  miles  below  the  junction  of 
the  Ohio.  He  had  served  under  Gov.  St.  Clair,  who  appointed  him  judge 
of  the  St.  Clair  County  court. 


i*\ 


80 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


1  •. 


r  i 


33  Josiah  Ryan.^ 
30  James  Scot. 
35  Daniel  Shoultz. 

John  Simpson  [erased]. 
50  Ebeneazar  Sovereigns. 
39  John  Suliphon. 
47  Robert  Sybold- 
41  William  Tobins. 


6  Thomas  Todd. 

9  Jesse  Waddel. 
52  Isaac  West. 
23  Laton  White. 
27  George   Wilkison  —  left  the 

Country  soon  after. 
32  Samuel  Worley. 
38  Peter  Zip.=< 


13  Edward  Todd. 

Before  me,  Arthur  St.  Clair,  Governor  of  the  Territory 

northwest  of  the  Ohio,  personally  appeared  James  Piggot, 

Captain  of  a  Company  of   Militia  in  the   County  of   St. 

Clair,  and  being  duly  sworn,  deposeth  and  sayeth  that  the 

List  of  Names  above  written,  is  the  names  of  the  Persons 

enrolled  as  Militia,  in  the  Company  commanded  by  him 

on  the  first  day  of  August,  one  thousand  seven  hundred 

and  ninety.     In  Witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my 

hand  at  Cahokia,  Septr.  28th,  1795. 

Ar.  St.  Clair. 


Roll*  of  the  Company  of  Militia  of  the  first  Regiment 
of  the  County  of  St.  Clair  Commanded  by  Francois 
Saucier,  the  first  day  of  August,  1790: 


Clement  AUary. 
Jean  Bte.  Bargeron. 
Joseph  Beland. 

1  One  of  Hull's  party  as  above. 


Antoine  Bellecour. 
Andrew  Bequette. 
Thomas  Brady.'* 

*  One  of  Clark's  soldiers. 

"  Killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians  in  1793,  on  the  trail  from  New  Design 
to  Kaskaskia. 

■»  This  roll  is  written  on  two  pages  of  a  single  sheet  of  laid  cap  paper, 
folded  the  long  way,  bearing  the  water-mark  of  a  crown  and  the  initials 
"  G.  R. , "  and  is  endorsed  "  Roll  of  Saucier's  Company. " 

"  A  Pennsylvanian,  one  of  the  only  two  residents  of  Cahokia  at  this  time 
not  of  French  birth  or  descent.  He  led  a  party  of  sixteen  volunteers  in 
1777  to  the  capture  of  the  British  post  at  St.  Joseph,  and  on  his  return  was 
taken  prisoner  on  the  Calumet  River  by  a  pursuing  force,  but  escaped  and 
returned  to  Cahokia.  Later  he  was  made  sheriff  of  St.  Clair  County.  He 
was  commonly  called  "  Mr.  Tom. " 


Ul      ! 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


8l 


Joseph  Buteau. 

Alexis  Chartran. 

Jean  Bt  Chartron— alias  La 

Becasse, 
Louis  Chattel. 
Jean  Marie  Comparet. 
Alexis  Courtois. 
Jean  Marie  Dorion. 
Louis  Gervais. 
Phillip  Gervais,  Ensgn. 
Francois  Grondine. 
Joseph  Grondine. 
John  Hays.^ 
Laurent  Jeunbergere. 
Francois  L'Abbe. 
Joseph  Lachance. 
Isedore  La  Croix. 
Louis  Laflame. 
Piere  Lajeunesse,  Sergt. 
Antoine  Lamarche. 
Louis  Lamarche. 
Gabriel  Langlois. 
PhiUip  Le  Boeuf. 
Louis  Lebrun,  Sergt. 
Jean  Le  Renard. 
Pascal  Letang. 


Piere  Lize. 

Constant  Loncting. 

Gabriel  Marleaux. 

Bapt.  Mercier,  Sergt. 

Juliene  Mercier. 

Jaque  [Bte.  erased]  Mullote. 

Jean  Bt.  Mullote. 

Etienne  NicoUe. 

Julian  NicoUe. 

Louis  Pansinneau  [Pensoneau]. 

Francois  Pencrass. 

Charles  Pilet. 

Louis  Pilett. 

Paul  Poupard,  Sergt. 

John  Ritchy. 

Jean  Bte.R.upalais,  alias  Gonevile. 

[?]  Bapt.  Saucier,  Lieut. '-^ 

Francois  Saucier,  Captn.-^ 

Louis  St. Germain. 

Piere  Antoine  Tabeau. 

Piere  Tecier. 

William  Todd. 

August  Trotier.     \  Corpls.  Sons 

Clement  Trotier.  ( 


Franc 
Josepl 


ois   Trotier.  C 
h  Trotier."*  ^ 


of 
Francois 
Trotier. 


^  John  Hays  is  said  by  Gov.  Reynolds  to  have  emigrated  from  New  York  to 
Cahokia  in  1793.  This  shows  him  there  at  least  three  years  earlier.  He  was 
sheriff  of  St.  Clair  County  from  1798  to  1S18,  supposed  to  be  the  longest 
term  of  office  ever  held  in  Illinois. 

-  A  brother  of  Capt.  Francois  Saucier. 

='  Fran9ois  Saucier  was  a  son  of  Jean  ]5aptiste  Saucier,  once  a  French 
officer  at  Fort  Chartres,  who,  after  the  country  was  ceded  to  Great  Britain  in 
1763,  established  himself  at  Cahokia.  Fran9ois  and  his  brother  Matthieu 
Saucier  founded  the  village  of  Portage  des  Sioux,  in  Missouri.  Pierre 
Menard's  second  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Francois  Saucier. 

i.  A  Canadian  who  settled  in  Cahokia  in  1775,  and  conducted  a  large 
trading  business  with  New  Orleans. 

6 


82 


KARLY   II-LINOTS. 


1  ( 


r:  ( 


Francois  Trotier,  Son  of  Louis.  Rene  Tureau, 

Joseph  Trotier,  Son  of  Louis.  Nicholas  Turgeon. 

Louis  Trotier.  Dennis  Valentine. 

Louis  Trotier,  Junr.  Joseph  Vizina. 

Personally  appeared  before  me,  Wm.  St.  Clair,  Lieut. 
Col.,  Commandant  of  the  first  Regiment  of  the  County  of 
St.  Clair  by  Virtue  of  the  powers  Invested  in  me  by  his 
Excellency  the  Governor  of  the  Territory,  Jean  Bt  Sau- 
cier, who  being  duly  sworn  did  Declare  that  the  above  is  a 
True  Roll  of  the  Company  of  Militia  under  his  command 
m  August,  1790,  In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set 
my  hand  and  seal  at  Cahokia,  the  13th  day  of  Apl.,  1796. 

William  St.  Clair.*    [seal] 


Rolli*  of  the  Company  of  Militia  of  the  first  Regiment 
of  the  County  of  St.  Clair  Commanded  by  Jean  Baptist 
Dubuque,  the  first  day  of  August,  1790: 

Joseph  Archambeau. 
William  Arundel.  1 
Jean  Baptist  Barron. 
Bazile  Beaulieux, 
Jean  Beaulieux. 
Michel  Beaulieux,  Sergt. 
Louis  Bergeron. 
Henry  Birron. 
Josiah  Bleakley. 
Antoine  Boyer. 


Louis  Bourassa. 
Charles  Buteau. 
Charles  Cadron. 
Etien  Cadron. 
Francois  Campeau. 
Piere  Chartie. 
Baptist  Chenie. 
Glaude  Chenie. 
Joseph  Chenie. 
Francois  Chevalier. 


*  a  son  of  James  St.  Clair,  once  captain  in  the  Irish  brigade  in  the  service 
of  France.  William  St.  Clair  was  the  first  clerk  of  the  court  and  recorder  of 
St.  Clair  County. 

t  This  roll  is  written  on  two  pages  of  an  unusually  long  sheet  of  old 
English  paper,  water-marked  with  the  crown  and  "G  R  1794".  It  is  en- 
dorsed "  Roll  of  Dubuque's  Company. " 

^  The  only  resident  of  Cahokia  at  this  time  not  of  French  birth  or  descent, 
except  Thomas  Ikady. 


KAKLY    ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


Piere  Chretien. 

August  Clereniont. 

Piere  Clereniont. 

I.ouis  Coste. 

Hubert  Delonne. 

Joseph  Demarais. 

Francois  Demet. 

Jean  Baptist  Dubuque,  Captn.i 

Charles  Ducharme. 

Piere  Durebois,  Junr. 

Louis  Gaud,  Senr. 

Louis  Gaud,  Junr. 

Louis  Gendron. 

Louis  Genvile. 

Joseph  Goneville. 

PMward  Hebert. 

Antoine  Hermand,  Junr. 

Jean  Baptist  Hermand. 

Louis  Hermand. 

Joseph  Hymen. 

Antoine  Labuxiere. 

Louis  Labuxiere. 

Bazile  Laflame. 

Francois  Xavier  Lapencee,  Sergt 

Joseph  LaPencee,  Lieut. 

Joseph  Laplante. 

Dennis  LaVertue. 

Louis  LeCompte. 

Francois  Lefevre— alias  Courier. 

Pascal  Lefevre— alias  Courier. 


«3 


Antoine  Lepage,  Corpl. 

Joseph  Lepage. 

Simon  Lepage. 

Piere  LaPerche,  Sergt. 

Francois  Longvall. 

Francois  Longvall,  Senr. 

Hippolite  Longvall. 

Michel  Longvall. 

Amable  Macon. 

Joseph  Manegre,  Corpl. 

Joseph  Marie. 

Joseph  Mendoza,  Sergt. 

Jean  Baptist  Mitot. 

Jean  Munier. 

Joseph  Pariesien. 

Piere  Pecard  [erased]. 

Piere  Picard. 

Joseph  Perie. 

Michel  Pilet. 
Joseph  Poupard. 
Bartholomew  Prevost,  Corpl. 
Louis  Relle. 
Louis  Rouliard. 
Mathew  Saucier,  Ensgn.^ 
Jaque  St.  Aubin. 
Piere  St.  Aubin. 
Gabriel  Tellier. 
Joseph  Touchett. 
Francois  lurgeon. 
Francois  Villareyt,  Corpl. 


Personally  appeared   before  me.  Wm.  St.  Clair,   Lieut 
Col..  Commandant  of  the  first  Regiment  of  the  County  of 

'Probably  a  relative  of  Julien  Dubuque,  who  lived  at  Cahokia  before  he 
established  himself  on  the  site  of  the  City  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  which  is  .ained 
lor  him. 

'^  A  son  of  Jean  Baptiste  Saucier,  above  mentioned,  who  afterward  lived 
at  Portage  des  Sioux  in  Missouri. 


I 


84 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


St.  Clair,  by  Virtue  of  the  powers  Invested  in  nie  by  his 
Excellency  the  Governor  of  the  Territory,  Jean  Bt.  Dubu- 
que who  being  duly  sworn  did  Declare  that  the  above  is  a 
True  Roll  of  the  Compy.  of  Militia  under  his  Command 
in  Augt.,  1790.  In  Witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set 
my  hand  and  Seal  at  Cahokia,  the  13th  day  of  Apl.,  1796. 

William  St.  Clair,    [seal] 


Roll*  of  the  Company  of  Militia  of  the  first  Regiment 
of  the  County  of  St,  Clair  Commanded  by  Phillip  Hngel, 
the  first  day  of  august,  1790: 


Paul  Desloges. 
Philip  Engel,  Capt. 
Charles  <lermain,  Knsn. 
Charles  Gill. 
Jean  Noel  (lodin. 
Picre  Godin,  Sergt. 
Ignace  (irondine. 
Louis  (irosle. 
Piere  Guitar,  Ser.r. 
Pierc  Guitar,  Junr. 
Jean  Guitare,  Corpl. 
AiUoine  LaCoursc. 
Joseph  LaCouture. 
Charles  LaCroix. 
Jean  Bapt.  Lalande. 
Joseph  Lalancet,  Scrgl. 
Joseph  l^ambert. 
Jean  Lapence. 
I.awrent  I.efevre. 
Jaijue  Letourneau. 
Franois  LMay. 
Andrew  Marlow. 


Jean  Bapt.  AUary,  Lieut. 
Lawrent  Amelin. 
Michel  Antaya. 
Andrew  Bequet. 
Louis  Bisson. 
Joseph  BoisVene. 
Renne  Bouvet. 
Piere  Buteau. 
Antoine  Cabassier. 
Cliarles  Cabassier. 
Francois  Cabassiei". 
Jean  Bapt.  Cai'assier. 
Joseph  Cabassier. 
Piere  Cabassier,  Sergt. 
Michel  Chartier. 
Baptist  Chartran,  Sergt. 
Thomas  Chartran. 
Tousaint  Chartran,  Corpl. 
William  Crow. 
Raphael  Daubuchon. 
Joseph  Deloges,  Junr. 
Joseph  Desloge.s,  Seiir. 

*  This  roll  is  written  on  two  jiap^es  of  a  slieet  of  foolscaii  paper,  lonp;- 
fold,  water-marked  with  the  letters  "  T  K  ",  aurrounJc'l  liy  scroll  work. 


EARLY  ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 


85 


Franois  Renousse. 
Rock. 
Amant  Tellier. 
Louis  Vadbonccur. 
Thomas  Winn. 


Piere  Martin,  Corpl. 
Piere  Martin,  Junr. 
Jacque  Mayiot. 
Michel  Mitevur. 
Francois  Noize,  dit  L'abbe. 
Joseph  Pettie. 

Pe^onaly  appeared    before  me,  Wm.  St.  Clair,  Lieut 

Alary  then  L.eut,  now  Capt.  of  said  Company  who  beine 
duly  sworn  d.d  deCare  that  the  within  is  a  jusf  Roll  of  hf 
Company  then  Commanded  by  Phillip  Engel   in  august 
.790.    In  Witness  Whereof  I  have  hefeunto  stt  "^ Trnd 
and  seal  at  Cahokia,  this  25th  day  of  april,  ,796. 

W1LLIA.M  St.  C1.AIR. 

Roll*  of  the  Militia  of  Kaskaskia  who  were  duly  enrolled 
on  the  1st  day  of  August,  1790,  and  had  done  Militia  Duty 
and  who  have  not  obtained  any  Donation  from  the  United 

otStCS  I 


Bazile  Alary. 

Jean  Baptiste  Alary. 

Louis  Allaire. 

Joseph  Anderson. 

Antoine  Barutel,  called  Noel 

Toulouse. 
Henry  Barutel  (Toulouse. 
Pierre  Basque. 
Vital  Bauvais,  Junior. 
Henry  Bienvenu. 
Michel    Bienvenu. 
Anthoiny  Buyat,  Junior. 
Louis  Buyat,  Junior. 


Joseph  Calais. 

Thomas  Callahan. 

Nicholas  Cassou. 

Francis  Clark. 

Louis  Charleville. 

Joseph  Chevalier. 

Hugh  McDonald  Chis.soIni. 

Pedro  Christofal. 

Adam  Cook. 

Henry  Cook. 

John  Cook. 

Charles  Danis,  fils. 


Joseph  Danis. 

*  Written  on  a  sheet  of  laid  foolscap,  with  water-mark  "  T  S  A:  C  ^  anrl 
endorsed  "Roll    f  the  Militia  in  Kaskaskia  on  ist  August,  1790.''-,/    ' 


Mi 


S6 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Francois  Dion. 
Alexis  Doza. 
Joseph  Fernande. 
Philip  Galloher. 


Alexander  McNabb. 
James  McNabb. 
Pierre  Menard. 
Francis  Montne. 


John  Baptiste  Gendron,  Junior.   Alexis  Morris. 


Jean  Baptiste  Germain. 
Louis  Germain. 
Jactjue  Gossiaux. 
David  Gray. 
Pierre  Grenier. 
Francoi.:  Janis. 
John  Rice  Jones. 
Jacob  Judy. 
Samuel  Judy. 
Antoine  Labriere. 
Jean  Baptiste  LaChance. 
Antoine  LaChapelle. 
Baptiste  LaChapelle. 
Bazile  LaChapelle. 
Joseph  LaChapelle. 
Louis  LaChapelle. 
Jaccjue  Laderoute. 
Hi  polite  Laforme. 
Ignace  Lagauterie. 
Michael  Lasource. 
Francois  Lemieux. 
Louis  I.emieux. 
Joseph  Lonval. 


Jean  Baptiste  Morris. 
William  Morrison. 
Gabriel  Obuchon. 
Manud  Portugais. 
Charles  Robin,  Junior. 
Augustin  Royer.  [oute. 

Louis  Seguin  otherwise  Lader- 
John  Knaresborough  Simpson. 
Jean  Baptiste  Derousse  St.Pierre. 
Jerome  Derousse  St.pierre. 
Joseph  Derousse  St.  Pierre. 
Michael  St.  Pierre.  * 

Philip  Derousse  St.pierre. 
Bartholomew  Tardiveau. 
Joseph  Tellier  [erased]. 
Jean  Baptiste  Thauniur,  Junior. 
Levy  Theel. 
Jerome  'I'hibault. 
Joseph  Thuillier. 
Francois  Barutel  Toulouse. 
Pierre  Barutel  Toulouse. 
Noel  Toulouse  [erased]. 
William  Young  Whiteside. 


Territory  of  the  United  States  Northwest  of  the  Ohio. — 
Randolph  County,  sc. 

1)C  it  remembered  that  on  the  twenty  third  Day  of 
September  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety  .seven 
personally  came  before  us  the  subscribers  two  of  the  Jus- 
tices of  the  peace  of  the  said  County,  Antoine  Peltier, 
called  Antaya,  of  Kaskaskia  in  the  said  County,  a  Capi- 
ta in  of   militia  in  the  said  place,  who  made  oath  on  the 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


87 


holy  Evangelists  of  Almighty  God  that  the  several  persons 
whose  names  are  contained  on  the  two  .ides  of  this  sheet 
P^Pf  ^  ^^^^^  on  the  first  Day  of  August  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  ninety  enrolled  in  the  militia  at  Kas- 
kask.a  aforesaid  and  had  done  militia  Duty  as  such  and 
also  that  the  said  several  persons  have  not  to  the  Know- 
ledge  or  Belief  of  this  Deponent  obtained  a  Donation  of 
four  hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  United  States. 
Sworn  before  us  the  Day  &      }  The  mark  of 

year  ab   ve  mentioned.       j  x 

J.  EDciAR.  Antoine  Peltier 

Wm.  Morrison.  called  Antaya. 


Roll  of  the  militia  of  Prairie  du  Rocher  in  the  County 
of  St.  Clair  on  the  first  Day  of  August,  one  thousand 
seven  hundred  vnd  ninety  who  had  done  Militia  Duty 


Augu^.tin  Allard 

Andre'  Barbau 

Tousaint  Bavarel 

Joseph  Blay,  junior 

Louis  Blay,  junior 

Pierre  Camus 

Charles  Chevalier 

Francois  Coline 
Ayme'  Comte,  junior 
Joseph  Comte 
Pierre  Comte* 
Jean  Bapte.  Culmaut* 
Gabriel  Decochy,  junior 
Raphael  Drury 
Antoiue  DuClos 
Jean  Baptiste  DuClos 
Jose])h  Ferrier 
Joseph  Genereu 


Francois  Gerard 

Augustin  Girard 

Jean  Ciomes 

Francois  Julien 

Charles  Lafornie,  junior 

Jean  Baptiste  Lajoye 

Pierre  Lajoye 

Etienne  Langlois 
Joseph  Lavoye,  junior 
Ambroise  Levasseur 
Joseph  Levasseur 
Louis  Levasseur 
Nicholas  Olivier 
Jean  Baptiste  omier 
Jean  Baptiste  Perin 
Pierre  Picard 
Andre   Roy 
Francois  'I\ingue 


*  These  two  are  on  tlie  Captain's  [Uarbau]  list. 


MMHMi 


88 


EARLY   IIJ.INOIS. 


Simon  Toiton 

George  Wittmer,  junior 

Nicholas  Witmer 


Joseph  Tangue,  junior 
Charles  Thibault 
Francois  Thibault,  junior 
Jean  Baptiste  Thibault 

Territory  of  the  United  States  northwest  of  the  Ohio. 
Randolph  County,  ss. 

Be  it  remembered  that  on  the  Twenty  Second  day  of 
October,  in  the  year  One  Thousand  Seven  hundred  and 
Ninety  Seven,  personally  appeared  Jean  Bapt.  Barbeau, 
Junr.  Esquire,  Captain  of  Militia  at  Prairie  du  Rocher 
aforesaid,  who  made  oath  according  to  Law  that  the  sev- 
eral persons  above  and  within  named  were  on  the  first 
day  of  August,  One  Thousand  Seven  hundred  and  Ninety 
duly  enrolled  at  Prairie  du  Rocher  aforesaid  and  had 
done  Militia  Duty  therein,  and  also  that  the  said  Several 
Persons  have  not  received  or  obtained  any  Donation  of 
Lands  from  the  United  States  to  the  knowledge  or  belief 
of  this  Deponent. 

Sworn  the  Day  and  Year  above  mentioned, 
before  me  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  the  )>Barbau,  fils. 
said  County  of  Randolph. 
J.  Edgar. 


General  Return*  of  the  militia  inrolled  in  the  (now) 
County  of  St.  Clair  on  the  first  Day  of  August  one  thou- 
sand seven  hundred  and  ninety: 

A-Clement  Allary.  .vMichel  Antaya. 

aLieutt.  Jean  Baptiste  Allary.  Joseph  Archambeau. 

Alphonso.  William  Arundel. 

.vLaurent  Amelin.  Alexander  Atcheson. 

[v]  "  Received  Donation. " 

f *  'Ihis  list  and  accompanying  affidavit  cover  seven  pages  of  old  crown  water- 
marked paper.  The  part  of  the  sheet  which  in  a  corresponding  list  contained 
the  initals  "  Ci  R  "  has  been  cut  out.  The  names  are  all  in  the  handwriting 
of  John  Rice  Jones,  and  so  certified  l)y  his  .son.] 


I 


EARLY   ILLINOIS  CITIZENS. 


89 


Lieutt.  George  Atchison. 

Timothy  Ballew. 

Jfjean  Baptiste  Baron. 

Bazile  Beaulieu. 

Jean  Beaulieu. 

Louis  Beaulieu. 

Michel  Beaulieu. 

Joseph  Beland. 

Antoine  Belcour. 

Laurent  Jean  Berger. 

^cjean  Baptiste  Bergeron. 

Louis  Bergeron. 

Louis  Bibeaux. 
George  Biggs. 

August  Biron. 
Henry  Biron. 
Louis  Bisson. 
Jean  Marie  Bissonet. 
Josiah  Bleakly  [erased]. 
A-Joseph  Boisver. 
Andre'  Boquet. 
Pierre  Bourassa. 
.rRene'  Bouvet. 
Ebenezer  Bovven. 
^Antoine  Boyer. 
Thadious  Bradley. 
John  Brady.  & 
.^Thomas   Brady. 
Alexis  Brisson. 
James  Bryan. 
Isaac  Bryson. 
Charles  Buteau,  Junr. 
.vjoseph  Buteau. 
Antoine  Cabassier. 
Charles  Cabassier. 
PVancois  Cabassier. 
Jean  Baptiste  Cabassier. 


Joseph  Cabassier. 

Pierre  Cabassier. 

Charles  Cadron,  Junior. 

Etienne  Cadron. 

Francois  Campeau. 

Sanson  Canadien. 

Peter  Casterline. 

Isaac  Chalfin. 

William  Chalfin. 

Jean  Baptiste  Champlain. 

Pierre  Chartier. 

Alexis  Chartran. 

Jean  Bap.  Chartran,  alias  Labou- 

Jean  Baptiste  Chartran.    [asse. 

Michel  Chartran  [erased]. 

Thomas  Chartran. 

Toussaint  Chartran, 

A:Louis  Cbatele. 

John   Baptiste  Chenie. 

Joseph  Chenie. 

Claude  Chenier. 

^Fran^-ois  Chevalier. 

Pierre  Chretien. 

Louis  Clermond. 

Auguste  Clermont. 

Pierre  Clermont. 

Jean  Marie  Compare t. 

Louis  Coste. 

Alexis  Courtois. 

A'William  Crow. 

Raphael  D'Aubuchon. 

.rjoseph   Deloge,  Senior. 

Joseph  Deloge,  Junior. 

Hubert   Delorme. 

Joseph  Demaret. 

Francois   Deme'te. 

Alexander  Dennis. 


I 


w 


90 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


A-Jean  Marie  Dorion. 

vrClement  Drury. 

^Raphael  Drury. 

Pierre  Dubois,  Junior. 

A'Capn.  Jean  Baptiste  Dubuque, 

A'Charles  DuCharme. 

vCapn.  Philip  Engel. 

Isaac  Enox.  [Enoch] 

Jean  Baptiste  Fleurant. 

Pierre  Jacques   Foubert. 

James  Garretson. 

A-Louis  Gaud,  Senior. 

Louis  Gaud,  Junior. 

Louis  Gendron. 

Antoine  Gerardine,  Jr. 

A'Ensign  Charles  Germain. 

^Francois  Gerome. 

Louis  Gervais. 

A'Ensign  Phillip  Gervais. 

tCharles  Gill. 

I-,ouis  Giroux. 

Jean  Noel  Godin. 

Pierre  Godin. 

Joseph  Goneville. 

Louis  (joneville. 

Antoine  (irandbois. 

Joseph  Grenier. 

Francois  Grondine. 

Ignace  (irondine. 

Joseph  Grondine. 

Louis  (irosle'. 

William  Grotz. 

vDavid  Guise. 

+Jean  Guittar  [erased].  * 

Pit'Tc  (iuittar,  Junior. 

*  In  I'lairie  <iu  Kucher  list. 
i  On  Vinccnnes  list. 


Antoine  Harmand,  Junior. 
Jean  Baptiste  Harmand. 
Louis  Harmand. 
Leonard  Harness. 
John  Hays  [erased]. 
James  Head. 
Edward  Hebert. 
George  Hendricks. 
James  Henderson. 
Michael  Huff. 
A-*Ensign  Nathaniel  Hull. 
Joseph  Hymen. 
John  Jack. 
William  Jones. 
*  Lawrence   Kenyon. 
Francois  Labbe'. 
Antoine  Labusiere. 
T^ouis  Labusiere. 
Francois  Labuxiere. 
Joseph  LaChance. 
AAntoine  LaCource. 
Ajoseph  LaCouture. 
Charles  LaCroix. 
Isidore  LaCroix. 
Bazile  Laflamme. 
Louis  Laflamme. 
Pierre  Lajeunesse. 
.vjoseph  Lalamet. 
Jean  Bapuste  Lalande. 
.vAntoine  Lamarche. 
Jacf|ue  Lamarche. 
Louis  Lamarche. 
.rjoseph  Lambert. 
Gabriel  Langlois. 
Raphael  l^anglois. 

+  On  the  Donation  list. 


x\ 


1 


1 


EARLY   nXINOIS  CITIZENS. 


9i 


Francois  Lapence, 

jvLieutt.  Joseph  I^apence. 

A:Jean  Lapense. 

Pierre  Laperche. 

Joseph  Laplante. 

Dennis  Lavertu. 

Jean  Baptiste  Leblanc. 

Philip  Leboeuf. 

jvLouis  Lebrun. 

:rLouis  LeCompte. 

Francois  Lefevre,  alias  Courie, 

Laurent  Lefevre.  [Junr, 

Pascal  Lefevre. 

Francois  Lemay. 

James  Lemen. 

Antoine  Lepage. 

Joseph  Lepage. 

Simon  Lepage. 

Jean  LeRenard. 

Pascal  Letang. 

Jacque  Letourneau. 

Louis  Pierre  Levy. 

Pierre  Lize. 

Constant  Longtemp. 

ArFrancois  Longval,  Senior. 

Francois  Longval. 

Hippolite  Longval. 

Hubert  LongVall. 

Michel  Longval. 

Francois  Lubbe  [erased]. 

Cieorge  Luntsiurd.^ 

John    Lyle. 

Amable  Ma^on. 

Joseph  Manegre. 

Joseph    Marie. 

(labriel  Marleaux. 

P  One  of  George  Rogers  Claik's 


Gabriel  Marleaux,  Junior. 
Jean  Baptiste  Marleaux. 
Andrew  Marlovv. 
.rPierre  Martin. 
Pierre  Martin,  Junior. 
Jacque  Mayiot. 
Thomas  Mars. 
Henry  McLaughlin. 
James  McRoberts. 
Joseph  Mendoza. 
Hubert  Mercier. 
;i'Jean  Baptiste  Mercier, 
Julien  Mercier. 
Jean  Baptiste  Methode. 
Michel  Metioier. 
John  Moore. 
William  Moore. 
John  Moredoch  [Murdoch]. 
Louis  Morin. 
Samuel  Morris. 
Jacque  MuUote. 
.rjean  Baptiste  Mulotte. 
Jean  Munier. 
William  Murray.^ 
Etienne  NichoUe. 
Julien  Nicholle. 
Benjamin  Ogle. 
Joseph  Ogle,  Senr. 
Joseph  Ogle,  Junr. 
Henry  O'Hara,  Junr. 
John  O'Hara. 
Louis   Panconneaux. 
Francois  Pancrass. 
Marrain   Pancrass. 
Joseph  Parisien. 
.rjoscph  Peltier, 
soldiers  on  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois.] 


IF '  I 


■B 


jm 


)! 


^^^5^^^ 


92 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Jean  Francois  Perrey  [erased].  James  Scott. 

Pierre  Picard.  Ebenezer  Severns  [Sovereigns]. 

Jean  Baptiste  Girard  St.  Robert  Seybold.^ 

[Jean  Pierre.  Daniel  Shultz. 


.rCapn.  James  Piggot. 
Levi  Piggot. 
William  Piggot. 
jvLouis  Pilet. 
Michel  Pilet. 
Charles  Pilot. 
FUienne  Pinsonneau. 
Joseph  Poirie. 
Paul  Poirier. 
John  Porter, 
orjoseph  Poupard. 
.rPaul  Poupard. 
George  Powers. 
Bartholomew  Provost. 
Jean  Baptiste  Provost. 
Francois  Ranousse. 


*»> 


Christopher  Smith. 

Claude  St.  Aubin. 

Jacque  St.  Aubin. 

Louis  St.Germain. 

Pierre  Locuyer  dt  St.  Sauveur. 

John  Sullivan. 

Pierre  Antoine  Tabeau. 

Amant  Tellier. 

Gabriel  Tellier. 

Pierre  Texier. 

Edward  Todd. 

Thomas  Todd. 

William  Todd  [erased]. 

Joseph  Touchet. 

Auguste  Trotier. 

Clement  Trotier. 


Jean  Baptiste  Rapelais  alias       Francois  Trotier,  son  of  Louis. 

[Genville.  Joseph  Trotier,  son  of  Louis. 


Daniel  Raper. 

Jesse  Ray  nor. 

John  Ritchie. 

William  Robins. 

Michel  Roche. 

Benjamin  Rodgers. 

Louis   Rohle. 

Pierre  Roilhe. 

Louis  Rouliard. 

*Josiah   Ryaji. 

A-Captain  Francois  Saucier. 

.vLieutt.  Jean  Baptiste  Saucier. 

A-Ensign  Matthew  Saucier. 


Joseph  Trotier. 
jcLouis  Trotier,  Senior. 
Louis  Trotier,  Junior. 
^Francois  Turgeon. 
Nicholas  Turgeon. 
Louis  Vadboncoeur. 
Dennis  Valentin[e]. 
Jean  Vandet. 
Joseph  Vaudry,  Junr. 
Francois  Villaret. 
Josei)h  Vizina. 
Alexander  Wadle. 
David  Wa[d]dle. 


I 

1 

( 


*  In  Prairie  du  Rocher  list. 

['  One  of  George  Rogers  Clark's  soldiers  on  his  expedition  to  the  Illinois.] 


'M 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


93 


ill' 


Thomas  Winn. 
John  Worley. 
Samuel  Worley. 
Francois  Young. 
.rPeter  Zippe. 
Rene  Zureau. 


Jesse  Wadle. 

George  Ware. 

Hardy  Ware. 

Isaac  West. 

Laton  [Leighton]  White. 

George  Wilkinson. 

Personally  appeared  before  me  William  St. Clair  Duly 
authorized  by  his  Excellency  the  Governor  to  take  proof 
of  the  Claims  appertaining  to  the  Militia  of  the  County 
of  St.  Clair  James  Piggot  Jean  Bapt.  Dubuque  Jean  Bapt. 
Saucier  and  Jean  Bapt.  Allary  who  severally  affirmed  that 
the  Within  is  true  Rolls  of  their  respective  Company  of 
Militia  in  the  Month  of  August  one  thousand  seven  hun- 
dred and  ninety.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set 
my  hand  at  Cahokia  this  thirteenth  day  of  Septe.  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety  seven. 

William  St. Clair. 


'\ 


^ 


Malicia  [Militia]  List*  of  [James]  Piggot's  Company  in 
the  first  Regiment,  County  of  St.  Clair,  September,  1795  if 

George  Atchison,  Lieutn  ^^  John  Brand 

Amoris  Baily  rttWm.  Branham 


Timothy  Ballew 
a  Richard  Barrow 
John  Basye 
Wm.  Basye 

George  Biggs 
John  battest  Blundey 
Shadrac[k]  Bond,  Sargt. 
'J'hadeus  Bradley 


a  Robert  Callvvell 
Robbart  Casbold 
a  Peter  Casterlin 
Wm.  Chaffin 
^^Josepli  Chance 
(7  William  Clark 
Adam  Clover 
(I  Jacob  Clover 


*  This  list  is  written  on  paper  the  same  as  the  one  that  appears  on  page 
78;  and  written  by  the  same  person;  is  endorsed  "Piggot's  Company,  year 
1795";  and  is  not  certified. — i". 

i  [Those  marked  [a]  were  "Settlers  at  New  Design  and  Belle  fountain"; 
the  others,  "The  people  at  Whiteside  Station."] 


J 


1 


i 


94 

^^Wni.  Clover 

John  Dempey 

rtElexander  Denis 

Clement  Drury 

a  Isaac  Enix  [Enoch] 

« James  Espy 

John  Everet 

^?  James  Garrotson 

John  Geins 

<7  Isaac  Gillham 

a  James  Gillham 

rt  Samuel  Gillham 

^?  John  Givoon 

n  Wm.  Going,  jr. 

cWm.  Going,  sr. 

(I  George  Griffin 

a  John  Griffin 

Wm.  Groots 

Solomon  Guice 

Thomas  Halfpenny 

aWm.  Hamilton 

^?  Leonard  Harness 

James  Hedd 

^?  James  Hendrison 

a  George  Hendrix 

(T  Elisha  Herrington 

rttWm.  Herrington 

^Joseph  Hogan 

Adam  House 

John  Hufman  [Hoffman] 

Daniel  Hull 

(ieils  Hull 

Nathaniel  Hull,  Ensin. 

^Harmon  Huslands 

Henry  Jones 

John  Jones 

Wm.  Jones 


EARLY    ILLINOIS. 

Samuel  Judy 

Lawrence  Kenon 

'?  Abraham  Kinney 

«  Andrew  Kinney 

rt  Joseph  Kinney 

«  Samuel  Kinney 

ci  Winder  Kinney 

<?  James  Lenien 

John  Loc 

George  Lunceford 

Thomas  Mars 

Michael  Masterson 

(I  Elihu  Mathers 

Daniel  McCan 

^?  Wm.  Mcglohlin  [McLaughlin] 

Henry  McLaughlon 

John  Merney 

(T  Eli  Misick 

ci  John  Moor[e] 

rtWm.  Moorfe] 

«  John  Mourdock  [Murdoch] 

rt!Wm.  Murry 

David  Music 

James  Norton 

Benjamin  Ogle,  Sargt. 

rt  Jacob  Ogle 

rt!  Joseph  Ogle,  jr. 

Henry  O'Harro  [O'Hara] 

John  O'Harro  [O'Hara] 

James  Pig^at,  Captn. 

Levi  Piggot 

'^John  Pond 

John  Porter 

Jesse  Rainor 

Daniel  Raper 

'?Geo.  Richardson 

Josiah  Rian  [Ryan] 


n 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


95 


a  George  Roberts 

a  Edward  Robertson 

Wm.  Robins 

a  Benj.  Rogers 

a  Larkin  Rutherford 

James  Scot 

Robin  Seybold 

Daniel  Shoulce 

Daniel  Sink 

rtjohn  Simpson 

a  Peter  Smith 

Michel  Squires 

John  Suliphen  [Sullivan] 

Jacob  Swaney 

Levi  Teel 

a  Edward  Todd 

a  Thomas  Todd 

a  Henry  Voss 

a  David  Waddle 

a  Elexander  Waddle 

a  Jesse  Waddle 


Hardy  Ware 

Isaac  Wess 

a  Davis  Whitesides  [Whiteside] 

George  John  Whitesides 

[Whiteside] 
Jacob  Whitesides  n 

Joel  Whitesides  n 

John  Whitesides  n 

John  Johnson  Whitesides  u 
John  Luis  Whitesides  m 

Uel  Whitesides  .     i, 

Wm.  Whitesides  m 

Wm.  Bolin  Whitesides        !» 
Wm.  Young  Whitesides      ir 
Joseph  Williams 
James  Wilson 
John  Worley 
Samuel  Worley 
George  Zip[oe] 
Joseph  Zip[pe] 
Peter  Zip[pe] 


nv 


♦ 


A  List*  of  the  Names  of  the  Persons  entitled  to  the 
donation  of  lOO  Acres  of  Land  for  Militia  Service  in  the 
Counties  of  Randolph  and  St.  Clair  :-f- 

Bazil  AUary  Jean  Baptiste  Aumie 

Andre,  junr  Andre'  Barbeau 

Gabriel  Aubuchon  Perre  la  Basque 

*  This  list  is  in  the  handwriting  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  and  has  an  unsigned 
pencil  memorandum  endorsed  upon  it  so  stating;  is  written  on  the  first  page 
of  a  sheet  of  laid  foolscap,  that  has  water-marks  "  R  &  M  T  ";  and  is  endorsed 
"Names  of  the  Persons  returned  as  entitled  to  Militia  Donations  in  St.  Clair 
and  Randolph  Counties."     It  is  without  a  date. — f. 

t  In  the  original  the  names  of  those  of  each  county  are  separated,  while 
here  for  convenience  of  reference  they  are  joined  and  arranged  alphabetically. 
Those  who  belonged  to  St.  Clair  County  are  indicated  by  the  letter  v. — k. 


516623 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

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(716)  872-4S03 


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V 


<^ 


'"^^r^" 
Vv^ 


'! 


•96 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


Vital  St.Geme  Beauvais 
BelleCour 

Antoine  Bellelettre 

the  nephew 

Henri  Bienvenue 

Michel  Bienvenue 

7'George  Biggs 

Johannes  Blay,  junr 

Johannes  Blay,  junr 

Louis  Blay,  junr 

7'Isaar   Brison 

7 James    Bryan 

Johanneb  Calais 

Francois   Carbonneaux 

7'Peter  '"asterlin 

7'William  Chalfin 

Antoine  la  Chapelle 

Baptiste  la  Chapelle 

Bazil  la  Chapelle 

Johannes  la  Chapelle 

Ciiarle  Chevalier 

Antoine  du  Clos 

Johannes  Conite 

Pierre  Comte 

Aime  Conte,  junr 

John  Cook,  junr 

Jean  Baptiste  Cotine 

John  Davis 

Dechochis,  junr 

^Alexander  Denis 

Jacque  la  deroute 

Alexi  Doza 

Raphael  Drore 

7'Clement  Drury 

f'Ralph  Drury 

7'Isaac  Knix  [Enoch] 

Jean  flandre 


7james  Garisson 
Jacque  Gautiaux 
Baptist  Gendron,  junr 
Louis  Germain,  junr 
7/Charles  Gill 
Francois  Girard 
Johannes  Guiguelle 
7'David  Guise 
7'Leonard  Harness 
7'James  Henderson 
7'George  Henricks 
7'Michel  Huff 
7'John  Jack 
Francois  Janis 
F'rancois  Janis 
Jean  Baptiste  la  joye 
Pierre  la  Joye 

Juliien 
7'Lawrence  Ken[y]on 

J^'Avay,  junr 
7'James  Lemnion  [Lemen] 
Antoine  de  lines 
Johannes  longVal 
7'George  Lunceford 
Alexander  McNabb 
James  McNabb 
Francois  le  mieux 
Louis  le  mieux 
Pierre  Misrard  [Menard] 
7john  Moore 
7'Samuel  Morris  * 

7john  Murdocli 
7'Williani  Murray 
7josei)h  Oo'le,  senior 
r-Joseph  Ogle,  junior 
7 James  O'Hara 
7 John  O'Hara 


EARLY   ILLINOIS   CITIZENS. 


97 


Joseph  Page 
Baptiste  Perier 
Baptiste  Perier  [erased] 
x/William  Piggot 
z/Daniel    Piper 
7' John  Porter 
z'George  Powers 
rAVilliam  Robins 
Philipe  Rocheblave 
7'Benjamin  Rogers 
Andre  Roi 
Francois  Rousseau 
^Joseph  Ryan 
z James  Scott 
7'Daniel  Shoultz 
i'Ebenezer  Sovereigns 
Jerome  St. Pierre 
PhiUpe  St.  Pierre 
7'John  Sullivan 


z'Robert  Sybold 
Francois  Tangue 
Johannes  Tangue 
Jerome  Tibaux 
Francois  Tibo,  junr 
?/Ed\vard  Todd 
^'Thomas  Todd 
Nouel  Toulouse 
Pierre  Toulouse 
Ambroise  Vapeur 
Antoine  la  Vigne 
7  J  esse  Waddel 
7/Isaac  West 

7'I.aton  [Leighton]  White 
7/George  Wilkinson 
(ieorge  Witmer 
Nicolas  Witmer 
7'Samuel  Worley 
7'Peter  Zipp[e] 


Petition  of  Certain  Inhabitants  of  Vincennes  :* 

To  the  Honorable  VVinthrop  Sargent,  Esquire,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Territory  of  the  United  States  Northwest  of 
the  Ohio,  now  vested  with  all  the  Powers  of  the  Governor 
thereof. 

The   Petition  of   certain    Inhabitants  of    Vincennes, 
Most  respectfully  showeth: 

That  your  Petitioners  were  heads  of  Families  at  Kaskas- 
kia  in  the  Illinois  Country  in  1783,  where  they  are  entitled 

•  This  petition  is  written  on  the  first  pnge  of  a  sheet  of  laid  letter-paper, 
with  the  water-mark  of  "FLOYD  &  CO.  iy,H";  on  the  last  page  is  the 
address  "The  Honorable  Winthrop  Sargent,  Ksqr.";  and  endorsed  in  the 
handwriting  of  Gov.  St.  Clair,  "  Petition  of  certain  Persons  for  donations  who 
were  heads  of  Families  at  Kcskf»,  and  had  removed  to  St.  Vincennes."— K. 
6a 


98 


EARLY   ILLINOIS. 


to  the  Donation  of  the  United  States  of  Four  hundred 
acres  of  land  each. 

That  previous  to  the  year  1791  they  removed  thence  to 
this  Place,  where  they  have  fixed  their  Residence. 
They  therefore  pray  that  your  Honour  would  be  pleased 
to  cause  to  be  laid  out  for  them,  their  respective  Dona- 
tion lands  adjoining  those  already  laid  out  for  the  heads 
of  Families  at  Vincennes,  agreeable  to  an  Act  of  the 
United  States,  passed  the  third  day  of  March,  One  Thou- 
sand Seven  hundred  and  Ninety- one.  And  Your  Peti- 
tioners will  evei  pray. 

X    Jerome  Crely. 
PosTviNCENNES,  26  Octore.  X    Francoise  Tonton, 
1797.  X    Antoine  Renaud. 

pro.  Charlote  Renaud,. 
his  heir  at  law 


M' 


FERGUS'    HISTORICAL    SERIES,    No.   31. 

nmiUS   PRINTINQ   OOMPANV,   OHIOMM). 


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